Audi has started the local manufacturing of its Q7 SUV at its Aurangabad plant as it gears up for a January launch.

The company is expecting high double-digit growth in this year and 2022 banking on the new Q7 and the recent launch of its bestseller Q5 and the A4 models.

“We have launched a number of new products already this year and Q7 next year would be the next big seller. In the first nine months of the year, we have seen sales grow around 123 per cent compared with the same period of last year,” a company official said.

In the same period, the rest of the luxury car market has grown 41 per cent.

Sales had fallen when the company drove out from BSIV to the BSVI regime.

The car maker expects its business to stay robust in India over the next few years as it looks to expand its sales network and roll out new products, including electric vehicles, officials said.

The company, which has shifted its entire product range in the country to petrol and electric lines since April last year, will only sell electric vehicles globally from 2033.

The official said the company plans t double the number of showrooms to 14 from 7 and have around 30 dealerships in the country.

The new Q7 measures measures 5063 mm in length, 1970 mm in width and 1741 mm in height. It gets 2995 mm in wheelbase and 865 litre storage capacity which can be expanded to 2050 litre by folding rear seats.

It also features rear side airbags, updated tyre pressure monitoring system and adaptive cruise control.