Audi Q3 Local Assembly Begins in India Ahead of October 16 Launch

Made in Maharashtra: the New Audi Q3 Rolls Off the Line

Audi India has commenced local assembly of the all-new Q3 at the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, ahead of the SUV's official launch on 16th October 2026. The third-generation Q3, which debuted in India in August 2026, is the first of the brand's new-generation models to reach our market, and building it locally rather than importing it fully built is a deliberate pricing decision.

Local assembly lets Audi sidestep the steep customs duties on completely built-up imports, which is how the company intends to keep the Q3 competitive against the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Piyush Arora, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, called the start of production "an important milestone for our Group in India". Balbir Singh Dhillon, Brand Director of Audi India, described the Q3 as "an important gateway to the Audi brand".

Audi Q3 Powertrain and Features for India

India gets the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, expected to produce around 204 PS and 320 Nm, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and standard quattro all-wheel drive. The cabin brings an 11.9-inch digital instrument display and a 12.8-inch touchscreen, a Sonos sound system, a panoramic sunroof and wireless smartphone mirroring. Two notable omissions at this price: no 360-degree camera, and ADAS is unlikely to feature on the India-spec model.

Bookings are open via the Audi India website, the myAudi Connect app and dealerships, with a token amount of ₹1 lakh, and deliveries are expected to begin shortly after the 16th October launch. It is worth remembering Audi raised prices across its range by up to 2 per cent from 1st April 2026, citing input costs and currency movement, so the new Q3's premium over the outgoing car should be read in that light.

What This Means for You

Entry-luxury buyers get a genuinely new option this festive season, locally assembled with quattro all-wheel drive as standard, something the entry versions of its German rivals do not offer. If the value play matters more than the new design, ask your dealer about outgoing-generation stock while it lasts, but do not expect heavy discounts in a supply-tight year.

(Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine, CNBC-TV18, Autocar India, Autocar Professional, carandbike, Motor Futurist. Image credits: Alexander-93 and LuvsMG4 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)