New Delhi: German luxury carmaker Audi has launched the A3 Cabriolet in India at Rs 44.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The car will be sold as a CBU in India.
The A3 Cabriolet is a two-door, 4-seater convertible with a soft top fabric roof. The roof can open in or close in less than 18 seconds at speeds of up to 50kmph. Other than the soft-top, the cabriolet is similar to its sedan sibling, in terms of interiors too.
The car is powered by a 40TFSI 1.8-litre petrol motor producing 180PS of peak power and 250Nm of torque. It comes mated to a seven speed dual clutch gearbox. The A3 Cabriolet also gets optional paddle shifters and a 4-spoke multifunction steering wheel. The 2.0-litre diesel will not be offered in the Cabriolet.
The A3 takes just car takes just 7.8 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h and reaches a top speed of 242 km/h.
With the top down, the A3 Cabriolet gets a wind deflector and active rollover protection system in the event of a rollover. It also offers ESP, traction control, ABS and airbags. Head level heating is also available.
On the inside, the A3 Cabriolet offers the same design and equipment as its top-end sibling – the pop up infotainment screen for the Audi MMI, the optional bang and Olufsen sound system and cruise control.
Commenting on the A3 Cabriolet launch, Audi India Head Joe King said the compact luxury segment is growing the fastest in the luxury car industry and the introduction of compact convertible will further strengthen the company's dominance in this space.
In 2013, Audi sold 10,002 units in India, becoming the first luxury car maker to cross the 10,000-unit milestone and stay as the number one ahead of German rivals Mercedes (9,003 units) and BMW (7,327 units).
After the A3 Cabriolet, the Gernman carmaker is planning to launch a whole new lineup next year. It plans to launch 10 new vehicles including improved versions of Q3 SUV in 2015.
