German luxury car manufacturer Audi has launched the RS 7 Sportback in India, with a price tag of Rs 1.28 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The five-door coupé, powered by a biturbo V8 engine, boasts of being the most powerful Audi in India.

The company sold its first car to Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

“We started the year with the achievement of becoming the first-ever luxury car manufacturer to sell 10,000 units in a year, and now we follow it up with the introduction Audi RS 7 Sportback in India,” said Joe King, Head, Audi India.

The Audi RS 7 Sportback can sprint from 0 to 100 km in 3.9 seconds and provides a top speed of 305 km. With a hybrid aluminium design, it weighs roughly 15 per cent less than a comparable all-steel body. The RS 7 is the company’s fourth sports car in India, the others are RS 5, R8 V10 and R8 10 Plus.

Audi , hinted at a flat growth this year. It had sold 10,002 vehicles in 2013, an 11 per cent increase from 9,003 units sold during the previous year.

The market may not be much consumer-friendly in the first half due to the elections, “but post-elections we will see a possible growth,” King said.

The company, which has an estimated 32-33 per cent market share, is also aiming for “higher growth”, he said, without divulging further details.

Audi, which currently has 34 dealerships in India, will increase the number of outlets to 40 by this year, he added.

>rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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