NEW DELHI: The smaller cousin to the Q5 and Q7, the Q3 comes in two variants—both 2.0 TDI engines—at an entry price Rs 26.71 lakh. The higher version will set you back by Rs 32.10 lakh.

The Q3’s primary competition will be the BMW X1, and it will also look to give the Toyota Fortuner, the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Chevrolet Captiva a run for their money.

"The launch of the Audi Q3 is in line with our top-down strategy for India. At present, only 500 Audi Q3s will be available for initial booking," Audi India head Michael Perschke said.

"We are confident that Audi Q3 will repeat the success of Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 and further consolidate our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment," he added.

The vehicle seems to have met with instant success, with most dealers saying they have already sold out their stock within few hours of the launch, pointing to pre-booking.

The five-door coupe crossover, Audi’s smallest SUV, was launched globally in 2011.

Audi India grew by 37 per cent during January to May of 2012, delivering 3,281 vehicles as compared to 2,394 vehicles delivered during the same period last year. It recorded sales of 450 cars in May 2012, a growth of 10 per cent over the same period last year.

The car maker is looking to expand its network to 25 dealerships by the end of 2012 from its existing 19 centres.

"In 2012, we will continue our strategic course of product expansion and launch attractive vehicles in the market for sustainable and profitable growth," Perschke had said last week.

Commenting on the outlook, he had said: "The overall market scenario is challenging. The rising fuel prices, depreciating rupee, changing registration taxes in various states as well as reduction in retail loans have severely impacted the automobile industry."

In spite of these challenges the company is confident of its growth in India, he added.