Newskarnataka-Mangalore
By: Cindrella Thawani
Photographs – Rajesh Venoor
Mangalore: Audi, a German luxury car manufacturer, inaugurated top-notch showroom in Mangalore, which is this year’s seventh showroom and second in state after Bangalore and 30th in the country.
Expressing a view on new trends that prevailing in non metro cities is becoming aspiring for luxury cars, Niraj Srivastava, head sales of Audi India rates Indian market as value sensitive rather than price sensitive, where he believes this modus operandi works for them.
Being optimistic with bullish perspective, Niraj avers that our products, network and word ‘Audi’ which in Latin means to listen, encourages us to listen and reach more and more customers.
Comparing to the Bangalore augmented sale of Audi cars, Subramanian K, CEO of Jubilant Motorworks Pvt Ltd cites, “Dakshina Kannada is a wide region, which has a plush segment of people and who are not broadly flaunting their wealth to buy luxury cars due to virtual pressure.”
“Mangloreans love to maintain their cars and have less number of body damage on cars, as well as city roads have good quality concrete roads, which is an inspiring aspect for us to make further investment in the city,” quotes Subramanian exclusively to News Karnataka.
Commenting on delay of opening an Audi showroom in the city, CEO of Jubilant Motorworks cites, “We are little late to open a showroom not because of an investment but owing to the lack of proper location and land chattels. Besides, company plans to open its next showroom at Hubli.”
Adding this he says to News Karnataka that Mangalore falls under C class dealers and among C class we want to lead at number one within next 18 months.
Anticipating city’s scenario, “Company targets to sell 10 cars per month in city and 120 units in a year, moreover 500 units by the year 2020,” says CEO.
He adds that currently Mangalore city and neighboring districts owns 130 Audi cars, while looking at this figure along with new sell units; company decides to initiate a pre-owned business for sold cars by the year of 2015.
With icing on the cake, “Company is providing some exciting inaugural offers to customers where customer will get benefit on purchase of A4 celebration edition, where buyer will enjoy the cherry on a cake at Rs 25.99 lakh compared to its market price fairly at Rs 28 lakh,” adds Ravindra Pai, General Manager at Audi Mangalore.
Company’s showroom is located at Mak mall premises, spread over 5500 sq.ft, with a display area to accommodate eight cars and exclusive service facility with capacity to service12 cars.
Besides, Q3 is the highest sold SUV so far in the state and A4 in sedan series. After, metro cities like Delhi and Bombay; Karnataka is leading at third position with Audi’s sales. Also, state contributes seven percent of the India volumes for Audi.
Moreover, Mangalore was the country’s first city where company’s first car Q7 was sold in the year 2006.