Audi A4 set to challenge BMW and Mercedes<\/p>\n
By Russell Williamson<\/p>\n
German carmaker, Audi, is set to take on compatriots BMW and
\nMercedes in the prestige car stakes when the company's first
\nproduct line goes on sale from Jan. 1 next year.<\/p>\n
In a joint venture with Indomobil subsidiary, PT Garuda
\nMataram Motor Company, Audi will build the A4 sedan at a
\ngreen-fields site at Bukit Indal, about 65 kilometers east of
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Initially, the A4 will be offered in just one body style, as a
\nfour door sedan, with a choice of two engines.<\/p>\n
Engines are a mixture of old and new, both aligned north-south
\nin traditional Audi fashion, ahead of the gearbox and driving the
\nfront wheels.<\/p>\n
The older engine is the familiar 2.6-liter V6 seen in the
\nprevious Audi 80 and the current A6 model, which generates a
\nmaximum power of 110kW.<\/p>\n
Although the company has yet to make a decision on what the
\nother engine will be, it will be a four cylinder unit with either
\n1.6 liter or 1.8 liter capacity.<\/p>\n
The former is the same 1.6 liter engine Audi's parent,
\nVolkswagen, uses in its small Golf hatch, which generates a
\nmaximum power of 55kW.<\/p>\n
The 1.8 liter engine, however, is a new Audi unit using twin
\noverhead camshafts and, reviving an Audi fixation with doing
\neverything in fives where engines are concerned, five valves per
\ncylinder.<\/p>\n
It uses the long-stroke configuration often employed by engine
\ndesigners to give strong torque characteristics, and is also
\nclaimed by Audi to be the lightest power plant in its class.<\/p>\n
The 1.8-liter four produces a very healthy 92kW.<\/p>\n
Suspension is also a mix of old and new: the rear end is a
\nrefined version of the torsion-beam axle seen commonly in various
\nVW-Audi cars, but the front end is a new four-link system using
\nthe same design principles as the all-alloy A8.<\/p>\n
The suspension does a more-than-able job. It combines with the
\neasy-spinning engine to give the composure and spiritedness that
\nmakes this new Audi stand out from other contenders in the class.<\/p>\n
The ride is supple enough to quietly absorb most things dished
\nout by the road, while steering responses are sharp and accurate,
\nthe car indeed shows little evidence of its front-drive and
\nforward weight bias.<\/p>\n
The Asia Pacific Region's sales manager for Audi, Kevin
\nMcCann, said the Audi A4 will be very well specified for the
\nIndonesian market with a high level of prestige features.<\/p>\n
\"The strategy that we have employed in other parts of the
\nworld where we are new to the market is to try and offer the
\nmarketplace a higher value for money package without necessarily
\nhaving a lower price than our competitors,\" McCann said.<\/p>\n
\"The buyer expectations in Indonesia at that segment of the
\nmarket are pretty much the same as any luxury car buyer all over
\nthe world,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As a result, customers can expect the A4 to come standard with
\nelectric windows, climate control air conditioning, power
\nsteering and air bags.<\/p>\n
Despite the current lack of unleaded fuel outlets in
\nIndonesia, the A4 will be specified to run on this
\nenvironmentally-responsible fuel.<\/p>\n
McCann said he did not anticipate the fuel requirements of the
\ncar being a problem as its major market will be in Jakarta and he
\nexpects the supply of unleaded fuel to be adequate by the time
\nthe car goes on sale.<\/p>\n
\"We anticipate that the network of unleaded outlets will have
\nincreased significantly by the time we actually launch the car,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Although Audi have yet to decide on the price of the car,
\nMcCann said he expected it to be competitive with BMW.<\/p>\n
\"We are very much driven by the market and at this stage we
\nwill be going for a price range that is similar to the equivalent
\nBMW model on an equipment adjusted basis,\" McCann said.<\/p>\n
Audi are expecting to sell between 1,500 and 2,000 cars in the
\nfirst year, which would then level out at about 3,000 cars per
\nyear after that.<\/p>\n
With between 85 percent and 90 percent of cars in this sector
\nof the market being sold in Jakarta, McCann said the A4 would be
\nsold not through existing Indomobil dealers but through its own
\nnetwork.<\/p>\n
\"We will be able to get good market representation from having
\nstand-alone dealers.\"<\/p>\n
The new factory which the A4 is to be built in will be
\noperated by a joint venture company between Indomobil, Nissan and
\nMarubeni Corp, called PT Ismac Nissan Manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Production at the factory, which will also assemble
\nIndomobil's other product lines including Nissan, Chrysler,
\nVolkswagen and Volvo, is expected to begin in October.<\/p>\n
Although the A4 will be built in the same facility as other
\nIndomobil products, it will be built on its own production line
\nto ensure Audi's quality standards are maintained.<\/p>\n
\"Because Audi have a worldwide commitment that all CKD
\nproducts must meet the same quality standards as they have in
\nEurope, we insisted that there be a separate assembly facility
\nfor Audi,\" McCann said.<\/p>\n
The A4 will be the first Audi to be sold in Indonesia but
\nMcCann would not rule out the possibility of other models coming
\nlater.<\/p>\n
With Mercedes launching its new E-Class and the larger S-Class
\nthis year, Audi could offer competing models in the form of its
\nA6 and A8 respectively.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/audi-a4-set-to-challenge-bmw-and-mercedes-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}