Three years ago, Audi Q5 made its world premiere at the Beijing at Auto China 2008, alongside an all new Mercedes GLK-Class. The unveiling of the two compact SUVs allowed Chinese consumers to understand what was coming there way. Next week Audi will choose China yet again as the stage for its world premier of the Audi Q3.
The Tiguan based SUV measures 4.39 meters long, 1.83 meters wide, and 1.60 meters tall, respectively 240mm, 50mm and 53mm less than Audi Q5. Because the China produced Q5′s wheelbase has not been lengthened, to keep the differentiation among the lineup, Q3 may not be stretched as well when it is put into domestic production in China.
China is not a mature auto market yet, but why has Audi decided to launch the Q3 in China? China will be Audi’s largest market this year. In 2010, Audi sold 226,000 cars in China, which was one fifth of its global sales volume, just behind Germany’s 229,000. With a 43.5% year on year increase in China, it is sure that Audi’s sales in China will surpass that in Germany this year. Like it or not, China is Audi’s undisputed second hometown.
However, not everyone of Audi’s new cars should be launched in China, for example, the new A6. Although China produced in China as A6 LWB accounted for more than a half of Audi’s total sales in China, most clients are government and state-owned enterprises. They choose A6 simply because they want a luxury car featured by conservation, convergence and modest, but do not care where the car was launched.
The SUV market is a different animal all together. In recent years, Audi wants to reverse its rigid brand image with some SUVs and sports cars. Considering SUVs have much better sales in China than coupes and convertibles, Audi has chosen Beijing and Shanghai to launch the Q5 and Q3, followed by their local production.
When the FAW-VW made Q3 hit Chinese market, it maybe priced from 300,000RMB (€31,640), the sales prospects will be not as great as Q5′s, because smaller luxury cars is an emerging market.
