Audi Q3 makes regional debut alongside ‘car of the future’
Ingolstadt looks to the future at the Dubai Motor Show
By Shahzad Sheikh
A full line-up of new cars, the all-new Q3 and the Quattro Concept, all on show at the Dubai Motor Show.
Audi is showcasing its first compact SUV at the Dubai Motor Show this year, the Q3 which joins its bigger siblings the Q5 and the Q7 and goes on sale here in the second quarter of 2012. The five door boasts SUV traits like high seating and ground clearance, but aims to project the style of a compact car.
The Q3 will launch with two four-cylinder TFSI engines, both 2.0-litre, producing either 170bhp or 211bhp.
Also on the show stand will be the full line up of new Audis: A1, A6, A7, A8 L W12 and R8 GT. Plus the regional premiere of the Audi Quattro concept which pays homage to the original Ur-Quattro that became a Rally Championship legend. The concept boasts a 408bhp five-cylinder turbocharged engine and permanent four-wheel drive. Amazingly it weights just 1300kg – the same as the Sport Quattro from 1984. However they still haven’t decided whether this will go into production.
Speaking during the press conference Jeff Mannering, Managing Director of Audi Middle East, focused on the car of the future: “At the 125th anniversary of the car, we are reinventing the car. The objective for Audi is not just to keep up with the pack; we want to set the pace. For our path forward we have defined five priority topics: Audi design, lightweight construction under the name ‘Audi ultra’, ‘Audi connect’ for the future of networked mobility, ‘Audi e-tron’ for electric mobility, and ‘Audi balanced mobility’, which stands for our objective of CO2 neutral mobility.
“There are major challenges ahead such as standards, costs and infrastructure, but Audi is ready to write the next chapter of mobility. The new Audi Q3 is our next step into the future here in the Middle East. We are aiming for 25 percent growth in the Middle East in 2011 and a new record year overall. The Arab Spring has affected parts of the region, but we are growing through new models – many of which you can see here at the Dubai Motor Show – and our continuous efforts to delight our customers through sales and after sales service.”
