Audi’s entry level sedan the A4 is set to be given a new lease of life in India when the new A4 is launched by the end of this year. Mr. Rupert Stalder, Chairman Audi AG recently made this annoucnement at Audi’s 2007 Annual Results meeting in Ingolstadt, Germany. Audi has been studying the Indian market and wants to introduce more youth oriented products to target the well paid executives who are on the lookout for a set of premium wheels. The A4 is probably the weakest product in Audi’s India portfolio and is not able to hold it’s own against more updated rivals like the BMW 3 Series and the new Mercedes C class.

The new A4 was on display at the Auto Expo and by the looks of it, i think it would sell well in India. The front has a more aggressive look due to the large Bulgarian beard grille and the sharp xenon headlamps. The Audi A4 on display at the Delhi Auto Expo 2008 (shown here) was a 3.2 litre petrol engine version and this is also likely to be launched here along with a diesel unit. The interiors of the A4 model shown here had beautiful red nappa leather seats and co-ordinated interiors which are indeed very well appointed. The new A4 looks bigger, sexier and plusher than the outgoing model and would entice first time premium car buyers if the pricing is not hiked much. Audi has said it would be importing the A4 initially but selling it at CKD prices, absorbing the extra custom duty to do justice to buyers since the locally assembled version would be intorduced shortly afterwards. So if you have an A4 on your minds, the imports are the ones you should be getting.