German luxury car maker Audi is evaluating various options to enter the domestic small car segment, including rolling out its recently-launched compact hatchback A1.

Its competitors such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz have already announced plans to launch small cars in India.

“There is definitely a huge market in India for such cars (compact). We are evaluating various options (to tap this segment). The important questions are what car, at what price and the target segment. Our customers in India are very demanding and want the latest,” Mr Anil Reddi, Head (Sales), Audi India, told media persons here on Friday. He, however, declined to put any time line for the proposed roll-out.

Launching the company's Audi A7 Sportback, a luxury sedan with a price tag of over Rs 65 lakh in Hyderabad, Mr Reddi said the company would be launching a brand new version of its existing A6 model in India in the fourth quarter of 2011. “The current A6 model is priced at about Rs 38 lakh. It is too early to put a price tag to the new A6 model that we will be launching. It will be on the same A6 platform,” he said.

Asked about the likely roll out of its premium sports utility vehicle Q3, he said the company is currently working on the launch of the five-door coupe crossover, which is likely to make its debut in India by late 2011 or early next year.

The size of the domestic luxury car market is estimated at about 22,000 units, about 0.7 per cent of the total car market. Audi India has upwardly revised its sales projections at about 5,000 cars for this year, as against 3,000 last year. “We have sold 2,394 units in the first five months of the current calendar. We are also focussing on tier-1 and -II cities,” Mr Reddi said.

To back up its increased sales, the company plans to increase its dealers' network and will be add five more to its existing 13.

Mr Rajiv Sanghvi, Managing Director of Audi Hyderabad dealership, said Andhra Pradesh accounted for 5 per cent of Audi's India sales. “We already have two bookings for A7 and expect to sell around 15 units in the next few months,” he added.

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