The new Q3 will be assembled locally at the Maharashtra plant rather than being brought into India as a completely built-up (CBU) vehicle.
Audi India has started the local assembly of the new Q3 at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, in Maharashtra, the automaker announced on Friday. The comes ahead of the SUV's scheduled launch in the Indian market next month. The new Q3 will be assembled locally at the Maharashtra plant rather than being brought into India as a completely built-up (CBU) vehicle.
Audi said this approach will help avoid the higher customs duties applicable to CBU imports and support competitive pricing for the SUV in the Indian market.
The Q3 operates in a premium compact SUV segment that includes the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Local assembly gives Audi scope to position the new-generation model more competitively within this segment, although the company has not yet announced its India pricing.
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Production of the new Q3 at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar also highlights the role of SAVWIPL's manufacturing operations in supporting the Volkswagen Group's brands in India.
"The start of production of the All-New Audi Q3 is an important milestone for our Group in India. It reflects the strong capabilities of our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar facility and our commitment to supporting the growth of our brands in the country," Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, said in a statement.
