Pune: German luxury carmaker Audi India launched sedans Audi A5 Sportback and S5 Sportback, and convertible A5 Cabriolet in a glitzy ceremony in Mumbai this week. Priced at Rs 54.02 lakh, the A5 Sportback will compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series and Volvo S60. The A5 is built on the VW Group’s MLB platform.
The S5 Sportback, priced at Rs 70.6 lakh, will take on sportier and mid-size luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG and Volvo S60 Polestar.
The S5 Sportback is the only car with a petrol engine among the three new launches. The company is looking to increase its petrol engine offerings to 50 per cent by 2020, from the current 30 per cent, as part of a larger strategy shift to alternative and less-polluting fuels, according to Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India.
"2017 is the year for ‘Audi Reloaded’ and the A5 range stands for the beginning of a new era. We will continue to offer the best of luxury mobility solutions in India by introducing new models in exciting body types and by entering into new segments,” said Ansari.
"With the launch of the #A5BratPack - Audi A5 Sportback, Audi A5 Cabriolet and new Audi S5 Sportback, we are proud to announce that we have already achieved our target of launching 10 products in 2017 in India. The introduction of the Audi A5 range has strengthened our product portfolio. The new Audi A5 range will be primarily targeting the young minded population, that is instantly recognisable,” Ansari added.
Currently in the third spot behind Mercedes-Benz India and BMW India in the Indian luxury car segment (those priced between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 2 crore), Audi India has made 10 new launches this calendar year, as it had proposed in February, in a bid to regain the top spot.
The A5 Cabriolet, priced at Rs 67.51 lakh, will rival the Mercedes C300 Cabriolet. Audi India will start accepting bookings and commence deliveries for the new models from Thursday. Audi has launched the A5 family in India and unlike the last generation, where we only got the S5 Sportback, this time around, we get three brand new cars. The new Audi A5 Sportback fits exactly in between the A4 and the A6 in terms of rough pricing, and although it does offer slightly less practicality in terms of rear leg space and headroom, it does offer a far prettier package as a whole, and is perfect for the kind of buyer who wants something different and unique from his or her car.
