Sunday Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Audi’s comeback in India

The timeframe to launch a new car is something auto companies plot years in advance, but the pandemic has upended the most meticulous of plans. It’s not uncommon for car launches to be horribly delayed as brands grapple with an uncertain world which is beyond their control. Take Audi, for example. The German luxury car brand had discontinued most of its models by March 2020 with the onset of BS6 emission regulations. The plan was to replace its product line-up with fresh new models that met the stricter emission standards. But as we know, it was exactly at that time that the pandemic struck. Lockdowns, a ban on international travel, logistics issues and innumerable restrictions hit Audi’s plans for a six.