STEP AHEAD: Audi India forays into pre-owned car business

Ludhiana, December 17, 2012: Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, has launched its Audi Approved: plus programme in line with global standards to cater to the demand of pre-owned Audi cars.

“With rising incomes and growing aspirations, demand for pre-owned Audi cars has also witnessed a significant increase in the recent past. With the increasing desire of consumers to upgrade and change their cars more frequently than ever before, a professional used car program is the need of the hour. Audi Approved: plus programme is the perfect solution for all those Audi enthusiasts who want to upgrade and own the sportiness, sophistication and progressiveness that Audi vehicles stand for”, according to Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.

Audi Approved: plus programme will provide the same luxury buying experience to new car and used car customers. It will guarantee the quality that customers expect from Audi. The programme boasts of having more than 110 checkpoints so that every minute detail of the car and purchase can be looked into. Moreover, with a wide range of cars, the program will enable customers to find and finally own their dream Audi. The program will be introduced at 8 dealerships initially and then gradually be made available at entire dealer network across India.

“For many future buyers, an Approved Plus Audi will be their first Audi and therefore we would like to make the Approved Plus experience match the new car buying experience”, said Perschke.

 “Aligned with company’s vision and brand values, our dealerships will be the focal point of the Audi Approved: plus program in creating delighted and loyal customers by providing them with best in class Approved Plus experience. By March 2013, all three NCR dealerships will offer dedicated Approved Plus facilities. To ensure that the programme meets international standards and is at par with Audi’s global image, we are investing in a full blown internal program comprising of guidelines, training resources, tracking customer satisfaction and reviews. The programme will be effectively and efficiently marketed via premium communications that reiterate our company’s brand value”, added Perschke.

 Audi India continues its success story. The luxury carmaker already achieved its sales target of 2012 in November. Audi registered a total sale of 805 units in November this year, a strong growth of 89 percent over the same period last year (November 2011: 425 units). The brand with the four rings recorded a 58percent growth rate YTD with 8072 vehicles sold from January to November 2012(January-November 2011: 5117 units).

The company opened new showrooms in Kanpur, Goa, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi West, Nagpur and Bhopal. Last year, the luxury carmaker opened new showrooms in Delhi South, Chennai, Ludhiana, Surat and Indore. Further developments include Lucknow among others.

The Audi model range in India includes the new AudiA4, Audi A6, Audi A7 Sport back, Audi A8L, Audi Q3, Audi Q5, Audi Q7, Audi S4,Audi RS5 Coupé, Audi TT Coupé, the super sports car Audi R8 and the Audi R8Spyder available across the country: in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi South, Delhi West, Goa, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai West, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Surat.