Audi e-tron set to electrify M’sian market in mid-2023

KUALA LUMPUR – With progress, electrification, and sustainability at the forefront of their operations, Audi Malaysia is in full gear to usher in their Audi e-tron range into Malaysia by the first half of 2023.

PHS Automotive Malaysia (PHSAM), a subsidiary of Porsche Holding Salzburg, was appointed to drive the Audi brand forward in Malaysia last year. Porsche Holding Salzburg is the largest and most successful automotive retailer in Europe, and part of the Volkswagen Group.

Its managing director Erik Winter is confident that Audi will leverage the deep and global experience of the Salzburg-based company, which today operates in 29 markets in Europe, China, Japan, South America, and Southeast Asia, and employs 39,000 people worldwide.

“In the first half of 2023, we aim to bring the first electrified Audi into Malaysia,” said Winter, who has worked in the automotive industry for more than 20 years.

“Bringing a new model into the market requires a lot of planning and we have been very busy working on this.”

The Audi e-tron is the brand’s first series production electric vehicle, which made its debut in September 2018. Since then, the German carmaker has released several other EVs that are part of the e-tron series, including the e-tron GT and Q4 e-tron. The original e-tron has now been renamed the Q8 e-tron in its recent market introduction update.

Audi is making a clear statement that the Audi Q8 e-tron is the top model among its electric SUVs and crossovers,” the carmaker said in its official release last November.

When the Audi Q8 e-tron goes on sale in Malaysia from the second quarter of this year, it will be available in regular and sportback body styles.

With new front and rear designs with the characteristic singleframe mask, inverted grille, and blade above the redesigned rear diffuser, the Q8 e-tron is immediately identifiable as a fully electric model at first glance and carries Audi’s electric design language forward.

It also impresses with its optimised drive concept, improved aerodynamics, higher charging performance, and battery capacity. This gives Audi’s EV an increased range of up to 582km in the SUV version and up to 600km in the sportback version.

Also in the plan are the Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT performance models. Both share the same setup of dual electric motors, all-wheel-drive system, and 85kWh lithium-ion battery pack that offers up to 487km.

The e-tron GT produces 476PS and 630Nm of torque, allowing it to go from zero to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds, with a top speed of 245km/h.

The more powerful RS e-tron GT on the other hand, turns the volume up to 11 with 598PS and 830Nm of torque. With its boost mode, it is capable of producing up to 646 PS, allowing it to slingshot from 0-100km/h in just 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of 250km/h.

On what put the Audi brand apart from other luxury brands, Winter alluded to Audi’s prowess, saying: “Audi stands out compared with other brands when it comes to Quattro: performance, connectivity, and design.” 

He revealed that his dream Audi is the R8, which he described as a high-performance car with an amazing design.

“Audi is a brand that represents sportiness and is very much related to rally driving. Its success and heritage stems from the famous Audi Quattro, which was a very famous rally driving car.” 

Audi clinched 23 World Rally Championship victories over a six-year period, testament to its performance and innovation.

“I saw the brand evolving from a rally car to a family car (SUVs), and today we can see Audi as a brand very much synonymous with electrification.”

Winter explained that Audi wants to be a brand contributing towards a more sustainable future and world.

“We want to progress this brand into a super-premium brand, and we want to progress our customers into satisfied and happy customers.

“And of course, electrification plays an enormous role in that.”

In addition to offering a strong lineup of new Audi models, Winter said one of PHSAM’s key priorities is to work on customer loyalty, confidence, and peace of mind.

“So it is very important for us to get in contact with existing Audi owners and customers and to ensure they feel rewarded within our network.

“And one of the first and many initiatives includes our after-sales campaign, where we offer certain benefits to existing Audi car owners to return to our dealer network and ensure that their car is in good condition with peace of mind.”

From January 1 to March 31, 2023, the #AudiReady campaign offers a complimentary vehicle condition check. 

Other benefits include 20% savings on Audi batteries, and 10% savings on selected wear-and-tear parts, including brake pads, brake discs, pollen filter, wiper blades, windshield cleaner, and fuel additive.

“I would like to say thank you to all our customers out there who gave us the trust and confidence to go full speed ahead to make them even more satisfied and I would like to invite everyone who has an interest in Audi to visit our beautiful showrooms.”

The latest information on Audi Malaysia is available at www.audi.com.my. – The Vibes, January 17, 2023