Audi opens ‘Terminal’ Showroom in India

Audi opens a 'Terminal' Showroom at Audi Kochi in India

Premium car makers have always had very modest sales in India. Despite some wealth in the past, there was never really the prospect of a big premium car market in India, particularly with the huge import duties on cars. But things are changing. Premium car makers are starting to build cars in India, and all the big car makers are looking to exploit this quickly rising market.

Audi R8 at the opening of Audi Kochi

We reported recently that Jaguar Land Rover have opened for business in India in a big way, and in an indication of just how important India will be, Audi has just opened its first ‘Terminal’ Showroom in India.

Audi Terminal Showrooms are designed to be flagship showrooms based on an easily identifiable architecture, and are planned to spring up in major cities all over the world. The opening of one of the first at Kochi in India is an indication of the value Audi places on the Indian market.

The Audi Terminal Showroom at Audi Kochi features a 9,000 sq ft sales area, together with a 6,000 sq ft workshop and bodyshop. Pretty much the whole Audi range is on sale, including the Audi R8.

Benoit Tiers, boss of Audi in India, said:

Audi Kochi epitomizes the new terminal concept that offers a unique Audi experience to our customers around the globe. Audi’s brand philosophy ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ stands for progressiveness, sophistication and exclusivity and ‘Audi Kochi’ embodies the same. This dealership offers a world class service standard that is a norm for Audi. It will strengthen Audi’s foothold in the south Indian market and reinforce our commitment to reach out to customers.

Audi has also revealed that it expects sales of Audi in India to be up by 55% in 2009, to 1,500 cars. Almost minuscule in comparison to world sales of over 1 million, it shows that Audi believes the sub-continent is set to be a major buyer of premium cars in the future.

And Audi, being Audi, aren’t going to be left out.