Audi starts the manufacturing of Q5 small SUV in India
Audi has announced the start of the manufacturing process of its Q5 sporty SUV in Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The compact Q5 crossover is the third Audi-branded ride assembled in India after the A4 and A6, increasing the German company's production volume to more than 2,400 units this year. The brand's schedule for the near future includes up to 1,500 units of the strong Q5 to run off the assembly line each year for the Indian market.
Frank Dreves, Audi Board Member for Production, shares: "The production of the Q5 is part of our long-term growth strategy in India. The Indian market for automobiles will grow very rapidly, and the Q5 is the right automobile at the right time." Final assembly of the Audi Q5 takes place in five work cycles on two assembly lines alongside the A4 and A6 at the Volkswagen Group's Aurangabad plant.
For the start, the Audi Q5 will be offered only with a 2.0 TFSI and a 3.0 TDI powerplants, but more and efficient units will be added shortly. This strategy is not something new for the brand with the four rings. Last year in Aurangabad facility, the engine line-up for the Audi A6 sedan and A4 sedan has been expanded significantly. Now the A6 is offered with a 3.0 TFSI gasoline engine since March 2009, and before then customers could already choose between the 2.8 FSI, the 2.7 TDI and the 3.0 TDI. In July, an entry-level version of the A4 sedan with a 1.8 liter TFSI engine was introduced. It rounds out the previous engine line-up, which for the A4 also includes a 2.0 TDI and a 2.0 TFSI unit.
