Audi Korea to Offer 40% Discount on A3 Models

(image: Audi Korea)

SEOUL, Jul. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Audi Korea will be selling around 3,000 new models of its A3 vehicle at a discount of approximately 40 percent.

If followed through, the limited promotional offer would lower the price of A3 models to around 24 million won, which is on par with prices of domestic cars such as Hyundai’s Avante.

According to Audi Korea, the new facelifted A3 models will be sold at the discounted rate early next month.

The original price of the A3’s 40 TFSI gasoline models, which consumers will be buying at a discount, stands at 39.5 million won, while the 40 TFSI premium models originally go for 43.5 million won.

After the 40 percent discount, the prices of the two A3 models will be 23.7 million won and 26.1 million won, respectively, making them nearly the same price as an Avante diesel’s premium version worth 23.83 million won.

The reason why Audi Korea is selling the new A3 models at such a large discount is because of a new law that forces all car producers to sell environmentally-friendly models at a ratio of at least 9.5 percent of total sales.

All car manufacturers that sell more than 4,500 vehicles per year are subject to the law, requiring carmakers to sell a certain portion of their vehicles as electric, hybrid, or low-pollution models.

For Audi, its A3 model is the only type that was certified and categorized as environmentally friendly, which means the German car producer is willing to sell them at a loss in order to satisfy the quota, as the A3 is typically less popular than other Audi models in Korea.

An official at Audi Korea said that the decision to offer the discounts was made so that the company could comply with Korean environmental laws.

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)