FAW-Volkswagen launches new Audi A3

Sino-German joint venture FAW-Volkswagen launched the new China-made Audi A3 on Saturday, garnering almost 40 million views and 1,455 orders during the 70-minute online event.

The model, available in sportbacks and sedans, has 12 variants in total, priced from 203,100 yuan to 249,700 yuan.

The A3 sedan, exclusively designed for the Chinese customers, has a wheelbase extended by 51 mm compared with the sportback, said the carmaker.

Sun Huibin, executive vice-president of FAW-Volkswagen's sales division, said the model has 17 features that are leading its class.

FAW-Volkswagen started to produce the A3 in 2014. Its accumulated sales have reached over 520,000 in the country, Audi's largest market globally.

Michael Schubert, president of FAW-Volkswagen's sales division, said the entry model, available in two body types, is making the brand younger and offering the Chinese customers more choices.

In an interview on Friday, Schubert said China's premium vehicle market will still show positive growth this year and Audi will launch 33 new or revised models, including many China-specific products, in efforts to strengthen its competitive edge.

Audi sold 726,288 vehicles in 2020, an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year, in the Chinese market. Of them, 674,700 were produced in China, up 7 percent year-on-year. China was the only country where it saw positive growth last year.