Audi India has started local assembly of the new Audi Q3 at the Skoda Auto Volkswagen plant in Shendra, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, ahead of the model’s scheduled launch in India on October 16, the company said in a release.
The start of production places the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar facility at the centre of Audi’s next product introduction in the Indian market. The plant is part of the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India manufacturing network and will assemble the new-generation Q3 for the domestic market.
The Audi Q3 will be powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine and equipped with Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system. Audi said the model will also feature a range of segment-first features and technologies, although the company did not provide further specifications in the release.
Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, described the start of production as an important milestone for the company’s operations in India. He said the production of the new Audi Q3 reflected the capabilities of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar facility.
“Today marks a significant day for us as we begin production and take another important step towards the launch of the All-New Audi Q3,” Balbir Singh Dhillon, Brand Director, Audi India, said in the company statement. He described the Q3 as an important gateway to the Audi brand and said the new generation would build on that position through its design, technology and driving character.
The assembly announcement also highlights the role of existing automotive manufacturing facilities in supporting premium vehicle production in India. Rather than announcing a new plant, Audi is using the established Skoda Auto Volkswagen facility at Shendra for the Q3, linking the vehicle launch to the capabilities of an existing industrial site.
For Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the development adds another premium vehicle programme to the city’s manufacturing profile. The company statement, however, does not disclose production volumes, investment connected to the Q3 assembly, localisation levels, employment numbers or the expected contribution of the programme to the plant’s overall output.
The Q3 launch is scheduled for October 16. Audi’s release did not specify whether bookings, pricing or customer deliveries would begin on the same date, nor did it provide a detailed production or sales timeline beyond the planned launch.
