Audi is set to launch not one but two products in the Indian market soon in the form of the next-generation Audi A6 and the new Audi Q8
German luxury automaker Audi is set to bring in new products into their India lineup before the end of this year. It will be launching not one but two cars in the form of the next-generation Audi A6 sedan and the all-new Audi Q8 SUV. The A6 will be launching in our country in September whereas the Audi Q8 will launch in December, 2019.
The 2019 Audi A6 is a new, eighth generation of their popular sedan and while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series have received their updates and are already on sale in India, the new Audi will be playing the catch up game. However, it gets several new updates to make it an interesting choice.
Powering the 2019 Audi A6 could be a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that makes 245hp and 370Nm of peak torque which will be BS-VI emission norm compliant, and will come mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Power will be sent to all four wheels thanks to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
As for the diesel engine option, it is still anyone’s guess as given the BS-VI norm becoming mandatory soon, the chances of it having BS-VI compliant diesel engine are slim as that would make the car a lot more expensive than the current range of Audi A6 models.
As for the looks department, it looks familiar to the new Audi A8 and has also grown in dimensions as it is going to be longer, wider and taller and have a longer than the outgoing A6. This should also result in a much more spacious cabin.
It will come loaded with features like two 8.6-inch touchscreen infotainment systems as standard but could give the autonomous driving tech that comprises 37 driving assistance systems that it offers internationally, a miss for our market.
The Audi Q8 SUV, on the other hand, is an all-new range-topping SUV from Audi that will now represent the ‘Q’ range of SUVs and take the mantle from the Audi Q7, despite being a bit smaller in dimensions. Internationally, it comes with a choice of a 3.0-litre petrol or a 3.0-litre diesel engine and competes against the likes of the Range Rover Sport, BMW X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
The design of the Q8 really makes it stand out thanks to the coupe-like roofline and frameless door windows and of course, the new ‘face’ of Audi cars that includes the new grille that gets six vertical chrome fins. These are complimented by the bold wheel arches and the newly designed headlamps. The same goes on at the back too as it gets a full-width tail light, a sharply raked glass panel and a sporty-looking rear bumper.
This too comes with several electronic driver assistance systems internationally but we will have to wait and see how many of them make their way to India. What can be expected is the drive mode which offers seven options to choose from and sport a very modern interior layout.
The highlight of which could be the 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is placed on top of the 8.1-inch touchscreen which controls the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Among these two cars, Audi India is also expected to soon bring the latest generation of their flagship sedan – the Audi A8 but as of now, there is no official confirmation on when could that be.