The car started jerking and I could feel every gear shifting. The shift points also changed drastically.

BHPian bigbearddriver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It all started back in August 2022, when I suddenly saw a “Gearbox Malfunction, you can continue driving” code on the dashboard. The car was shifting properly and everything was essentially okay with the gearbox. In an ideal situation, I should have got the sensors checked or maybe looked for electrical issues.

I was very naive and gullible back then, I did a quick Google search and found that the transmission can be reset using some simple steps. I followed the instructions and boom, the transmission stopped working altogether. I was not able to put my car into D or R and it would always get stuck on N, unless I was able to move the shifter within the first second of turning the ignition on. The car started jerking and I could feel every gear shifting. The shift points also changed drastically. I am to date not sure about why the car always got stuck on N, but the jerking and other issues were actually the symptoms of CVT adapting itself. I did not know it back then.

I went to my so-called trusted mechanic in Andheri West named Danish, who cheated me left, right and centre over the next few months. I got the car towed to Danish’s garage on a flatbed and he started the diagnostics. For 2 days he did not tell me what exactly was going on with the car. Please do not make the mistake of dropping your car somewhere if you do not completely trust the mechanic. I made this mistake and paid a heavy price for it. As Danish wasn’t giving me any updates, I called up his assistant and he hesitantly told me “Sir your car is working perfectly, there are no codes, all we did was flush the transmission fluid and refill it”. I was super happy on hearing this. But this was just the beginning of the nightmare.

On the same evening, Danish called me up and told me that there is something wrong with the valve body of my gearbox and it needed to be replaced. I trusted him like a fool and told him to go ahead with it. He claimed that he salvaged the part for me and gave me a 9 months warranty. He also shared the part photos with me. I felt suspicious as the valve body did not look similar to the valve body that goes on an Audi CVT (0AW Multitronic Transmission). But I somehow got convinced that he has done what he is claiming, completely my fault, I agree.

The car was working fine and everything was hunky-dory for the next few months. Cut to October and the gearbox started feeling very jerky again. I am assuming that the adaptation was not completely done last time and the TCM started the adaptation process again. I wasn’t aware of something like this. The car did not throw any codes and I got used to driving it with the jerks. But then one fine day, I gave my car to a valet, which I usually don’t, but over here I did not have a choice. When he was returning the car to me from the parking, there was an uphill slope and you have to be very careful with a CVT and let the clutch engage before going hard on the accelerator. This nincompoop floored my car on a slope and I heard a huge thud. I am assuming that the flywheel broke, but I am still not sure what exactly happened.

After this incident, the worse days of my transmission had begun. I went to Danish again and he suggested that he will have to open up the gearbox. He told me that he would change the clutches and everything would be okay. He promised to deliver the car to me within 5 days. Please note opening up a CVT transmission requires a lot of expertise and not everyone is equipped to handle such a complex transmission.

Danish disassembled the entire transmission and the parts were spread all across his garage. It hurt my heart to see the car like this. I used to go there every day to check my car and there was no sign of good news. On day 2 he tells me that he doesn’t have the necessary tools to open the gearbox completely, but he had opened the casing already. He assured me that a gearbox expert would visit his garage and work on this the next day. This never happened, my gearbox was left open there and nobody came for a whole week.

Then one day suddenly, I get a call from Danish “Sir WhatsApp pe video dekho, BMC waalo ne mera garage tod diya” which translates to “Sir please open your WhatsApp, my garage was razed by the BMC”. I was shocked, shattered and did not know how to react. Luckily, they managed to move all the cars out of the garage. Which also included one of my very good friends’ ML250. But in my case, the car had no gearbox at all. They hurriedly put all the child parts of the gearbox in my car’s trunk and it was parked close to the debris of his illegal garage. I was in tears that day. Although, there was no damage to my car, I knew that the worse days have begun.

A little bit of backstory, my wife was 7 pregnant back then and this is the only car that I drive. It was sacrosanct for me to get the car fixed at the earliest. Danish asked me to tow the car to his friend’s garage in Navi Mumbai and I did. The incident happened on a Saturday and I was assured that the work on my car would begin on Monday. But apparently, this was a false promise. The workshop that he sent my car to was a professional workshop and they refused to touch the transmission in this condition. They did not want to take any responsibility and liability for it, and I don’t blame them for it. They were kind enough to allow me to let my car be parked there but denied working on it.

Then I called up someone else who was ready to reassemble the transmission for me and promised to make it work again. I again towed the car to Lower Parel, this time again it was a local mechanic. The n number of mistakes that I made, this one turned out to be one of the costliest too. This guy had my car with him for 15 days and asked me to source some child parts for the gearbox which are very difficult to find. I used to roam in the streets of Kurla car part market to try and salvage these parts. But I was successful in doing it, then on day 15, he somehow managed to assemble the gearbox but the car was in limp mode. This was again a Saturday evening.

This is where the negative aspect of my story ends and better things come my way. I found Harjeet Singh Sehmbi’s number from Google and he told me that he had a ready transmission that he would replace. I told him that my wife is pregnant and coincidentally, at that time his wife was pregnant too. This created a connection between us. He empathised with me and understood how difficult it can be during this time to be without a car. Harjeet promised me that I would be driving my car home on Wednesday. I was told that I would not have to pay a single penny to him if I was not satisfied with how the transmission worked. He called me for a trial at his workshop in Madh Island on Tuesday, and this was one of the happiest days in between the past few dark days that I went through. My car, which I love like a family member, was functional again. He put the life back into my car. FNGs who walk the talk are very difficult to find in a country like ours. There are only a few good ones and Harjeet Singh Sehmbi’s Sehmbi Transmission is one of them.

It is necessary to understand that fixing a transmission to perfection takes a lot of hard work and a lot of long trials. I had to take my car back to Harjeet a couple of times for some minor adjustments, which were all covered under warranty. Throughout the process, he made sure that even the minor niggles that I had with my transmission get resolved.

Thanks to Harjeet, I was able to bring my daughter home in her papa’s red car.

Now focusing on my review of Sehmbi Transmission. I would like to put this on record that these guys are hands-down one of the best when it comes to repairing an automatic transmission, be it CVT, DSG, AMT, IVT or any other type of transmission. The way things were handled was beyond my expectations.

I have driven the car for 7000 km since then and touchwood, the drive has been nothing short of perfection. The last 7 months have passed without seeing a single fault code on my dashboard.

P.S: Harjeet is a 3rd generation professional who is in this business and I think this is what made most of the difference.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Once you're used to the silence, no vibrations and acceleration, there's no going back.

BHPian Pippoosh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So its been a year since we got "Mental" home - What else do you call something that can get a high voltage wire plugged into its forehead on both sides! and accelerates like crazy!

Just did the annual service with the odo at 7,200 at the Audi Mumbai South workshop. Usage is low because of a high WFH mode. Service was super efficient, no fuss and most importantly a zero rupee bill - as we had taken the 5 year comprehensive service package upfront. Funniest thing was at the end of the service the car does not really feel different like an ICE car would. Effectively it came back cleaner and nothing else noticeable!

At the end of 1 year, my thoughts:

Positives:

• EV - once you're used to the silence, no vibrations and acceleration, there's no going back!!
• Comfort - large space, can hold 6 people if need be. Rear seat is a great place to be in Mumbai traffic. You wont notice anything outside and can do as many calls / videocalls as you want.
• Practicality - Massive boot space, never had an issue anytime; Sun-shades on rear windows, air suspension to raise the car over the massive road humps.
• Tech and Gizmos - all the funky things one can think of.
• Audi support and service. Always happy to help with a smile!

Negatives:

• No wireless Android Auto.
• No ventilated seats (not really felt the need though!).
• Yet to get the dongle to connect the car to the App. Not a real deal-breaker.
• Public charging infra even in Mumbai sucks. Never been able to do it for one reason or the other
• This one is the funniest. Virat Kohli got one in the same color. Now some fans seem to think this one is his. Hopefully he changes his cars faster than we do.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The first issue was of the engine malfunction indicator light (MIL) flashing and the car slightly shaking at the same time.

BHPian amartya_bhp recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been a proud owner of an Audi A4 PP+variant since Sep 2022 - a brand new car in Terra Grey Exterior and Beige interior. I have been loving this experience since I parted with my Vento TSi which served me well for about 65000 km and 6 yrs (had bought it new in 2016). Even I have got some mods done by BHPian Agam Bhandari and he helped me get rid of the speed chimes, turned on needle sweep and rear light DRLs. I have already traveled with this GEM of a machine to Kolkata, Vadodara and have already clocked about 8000 km since my purchase and loved the drives (experiences are upcoming soon in a future post, so stay tuned, please)

Off late though, my steed is in the garage with a strange fault and that is why I am putting this up here for your comments/feedback/suggestions. Hopefully, the experience in this forum will help in getting the problem resolved. So, here goes:

• The problem showed up during COLD START ONLY in the morning as of now(first observed on Nov 20). Note that I have always used XP95 fuel since Day 1.
• The first issue was of the engine malfunction indicator light (MIL) flashing and the car slightly shaking at the same time - had already visited the Service Center once on this issue the day on Nov 21, when some tests were run and faults were cleared by SA (Scanning showed random/sporadic cylinder misfire P0300 CODE - was advised that this is a random error and there should not be any issues).
• The issue was not resolved and the fault continued to show with considerable water coming out of the exhaust at the same time next morning onwards (note the AUTO START STOP function does not work even after the flashing stops and I start to drive).
• The above problems showed up every time at cold start till the Service Center picked up the car on Nov 28th afternoon.
• However, on Nov 28th, the drivetrain fault showed up on the MID and the car refused to start in the morning; after three tries, it did start but the same MIL light was flashing with water coming out of the exhaust.

As usual, service center guys at Audi Gurugram, first said that there are fuel contaminants, so they drained the fuel, cleaned the tank and changed related O-rings. But still the problem persists and the car is still with the workshop. They say that they have done engine endoscopy, compression tests and all related tests and the engine is fine. They then tested the fuel pressure and were waiting for feedback from Audi India Technical Team for the way forward.

The issue was traced to a faulty spark plug which was not doing its job properly in the cold. They have replaced the part under warranty and now everything looks good. My car is back and is running as smooth as silk.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I was initially skeptical about getting such an old German machine aesthetically changed and investing a huge amount of money.

BHPian bigbearddriver recently shared this other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone,

It has been a long time since I was planning to get something substantially changed on my 2013 Audi A6 2.0 TDI.

Recently, I finally made up my mind and decided to go for a full-body repaint including changing the front bumper, vents and grille. The original colour of the car was Moonlight Blue, I got it changed to Tango Red which is mostly seen on the RS series Audis.

I am from Mumbai and have been following Autorounders since 2017. Even though at the back of my mind, I knew that I will be giving my car to them and no one else, I still thought of doing a bit of market research before making this decision. And boy, I wasn't wrong. They have done a fabulous job on my car, and while taking the delivery it felt like she is straight out of the showroom.

The entire job took about 25 days from start to end. The team shared regular updates with me via WhatsApp and whenever they failed to give me any update, I used to go there by myself to check the progress of the work.

The paint material that they used is German Glasurit Paint, and if you are looking to get your car repainted, I wouldn't look anywhere else. The finish and quality is mind-boggling. Although a little more expensive than other paint materials available in the market, Glasruit is absolutely worth it. The calipers and alloy wheels were also painted in the same material.

I was initially skeptical about getting such an old German machine aesthetically changed and investing a huge amount of money, but now I don't regret my decision one bit. I would never want to sell this car now! There are certain performance upgrades that I am planning for the near future, but that calls for another micro-post.

Thank you for your time! I am sharing some photos of the makeover:

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Completely transformed your A6 . Congrats on a job well done. I am also a fan of holding onto cars for long, and continuously improving them with time. Your A6 now looks better than a new A6 . Best part is, because of Audi's evolutionary design language, it looks just as contemporary as a 2022 A6. The layman will be hard-pressed to tell any difference between the different A6 generations (even A4s look all the same to me).

Also, do share the costs and work-in-process images.

I love the red colour and am certain your car is a head-turner on the road. But the one thing that worries me about a strip down to change the colour is that, the factory fit & finish is gone. Hence, I usually go for an overcoat (same colour) rather than change the shade. What's your experience been?

Here's what BHPian SinghShu had to say on the matter:

This looks really nice. The red really augments the beauty of A6.

I have one question though. A full body color in a different tone, wouldn’t this warrant a change in the RC as well? And if you have got it done, could you share the process of getting it updated. The only reason I don’t entertain the thoughts of repainting my car in a different color is to avoid hassles related to RC updates.

Here's what BHPian rpunwani had to say on the matter:

The red looks lovely & sporty.

Very interested to know what procedure you will follow with the RTO for RC as the original colour is mentioned on the RC card.

Your success in the above will benefit many. Good Luck.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have seen the coolant temperature gauge oscillating between the middle and quarter position.

BHPian storme'd recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guys, need some advice. My current drive is an Audi A8L quattro 3.0. Have been having quite an issue free experience with the car, however post getting it serviced from Halfords last week, I have seen the coolant temperature gauge oscillating between the middle and quarter position. It used to be fixed at the mid spot earlier but now the needle keeps moving. Thankfully it's not going beyond the half level so have not faced any issues.

• Can this be due to something that happened during servicing?
• What could be the culprit?
• If it is the coolant temperature sensor, can I do a diy after buying it off Amazon?

Any advice will be helpful.

Thanks.

Here's what BHPian Maverick5490 had to say on the matter:

Does the temperature gauge fluctuate right from start up or once the engine is in operating temperature? Most likely its the sensor that may have failed causing the erratic display.

Here's what BHPian ajmat had to say on the matter:

First - Halfords may be best routine services of popular cars as opposed to a sophisticated Audi.

It could be a faulty temp sensor. Are you getting any error messages, fuel consumption issues? Some of the early 2000 VAG cars had defective sensors. My Skoda RS has this issue. For £15, I got a new sensor posted to me. Replaced it and it was sweet as a nut. This sits at the bottom of the block. Considering your v8, you could get lost!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car is in good condition and I have taken a small test drive. Though it has adaptive suspension which can be raised, my biggest concern is scrapping the bottom.

BHPian autobahnjpr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am planning to buy a pre-worshipped Audi A6 Matrix 2018 model (manufactured 2017 and registered may 2018) driven for approx 67000 km. Single owner, service done at the Audi dealership and then at local workshop, one case of boot repair due to a hit from back (during warranty). The car is in ok condition from the  outside with few scratches on sides and a small dent. Inside except the creases on the seat cover, everything is in good working condition. Tyres are new with full tread.

The deal has come through a known who owns the workshop and deals in used car sales and purchase. The car has been serviced twice at his workshop. He has reassured that all repairs and other things will be taken care before delivery including 3M car cleaning on the inside, a full service (it is due in 1000 km) and other stuff.

The car is in good condition and I have taken a small test drive. Though it has adaptive suspension which can be raised, my biggest concern is scrapping the bottom (I have a bad experience with my Honda City with full load and this is a quite long car (approx 4.97m long).

Everything seems ok. But these cars have a habit of giving nasty surprises. So I need some guidance and advice so that I can cover the warranty and spare cost etc. for any future issues.

I am considering this as a replacement for my current Dzire diesel which is completing 15 years this year and will be retired next year.

I normally keep cars for a long duration (both previous cars have completed 15 years), and thus would like to avoid situations where future repair costs makes this vehicle nonviable to run.

My budget for replacement was 20-22 lakhs and new cars are not only expensive, but also have a waiting period. With this offer, i am planning to stretch a little but get a vehicle from a different segment.

Many thanks.

Here' what GTO had to say on the matter:

Couple of thoughts. 67000 km is above my comfort level. I wouldn't buy any car with over 40,000 km. 50,000 if it is exceptional otherwise.

Air suspension. And you are coming from a Dzire Diesel. You do realise these cars cost 1 - 1.5 lakhs a year to own? The air suspension alone runs in a few lakhs.

The car is just 4 years and the owner is already maintaining it outside? What major repairs came up that compelled him to do so?

I would personally pass on this car. It's not for you.

Here's what BHPian vishy76 had to say on the matter:

The Audi A6 Matrix is quite a looker even today. Used the staple 2.0 TDI motor which is also fairly reliable by German standards. Having said that, it is a complex German car end of the day. Here's what you need to look out for:

• Air suspension: If you have read ownership threads on this forum before, you might already be aware of what I am hinting at. The air suspension on this car is complex. On our lovely roads, the air springs or airbags as they are also called are notorious for developing punctures. This will cause the car to lose ride height when it's parked. Drive long enough with this issue, and you risk burning the air compressor out too.
• Another part that is notorious for failing on these is the valve block assembly which is the brain of the air suspension. It channels air to the four corners of the car depending on inputs from the ride height sensors. Failure of this component causes the car to droop from one side. All in all, have an FNG ready to deal with this. Suspension repairs at an ASC are guaranteed to cross the 6-digit mark.
• Check if the headlamps are functioning perfectly. The matrix headlights look brilliant and have a lot of wizardry going on. Failure of these will again demand a 1L+ expense if you want a brand new one.
• Since it is nearing the 70-80K km mark, don't be surprised if the water pump gives up. Known issue in these 2.0 TDIs. Pump itself isn't expensive, but if the leak is allowed to manifest enough, it will ruin the timing belt. Total bill will be around 7K if the pump alone goes. If the belt and kit also need changing, that figure would be around 17-20K.
• Check if you feel any abnormal vibrations on start-up or shutdown. The engine mounts on this longitudinally mounted TDI are electronically controlled IIRC and cost a bomb to replace as compared to traditional rubber mounts.
• Check if the transmission fluid has been changed. If it hasn't, that's an expense coming your way very very soon. The air conditioning should blow ice cold as well.

All in all, these cars are known to have some running repairs come up around the 80-120K km mark depending on how they are driven. Be prepared for those. Parts like the suspension, mountings etc will need to go at some point from now. Factor in around 1.5-1.7L of expenses per annum on an average for the remainder of your ownership (including tyres) and you should be fine. Remember, preventive maintenance is key. Neglecting mechanical issues is inviting trouble.

Cheers.

Here's what BHPian manson had to say on the matter:

Whilst the A6 matrix remains my favourite design for a luxury sedan till date, I'd strongly recommend you opting against buying this car. Scratches and dents come and go but they seldom stay on cars that are well cared for.

If you're keen on stretching your 20-22 lac budget and have not found a used car you liked, I'd recommend checking out the Octavia or else look at the top end Slavia. A new car implies negligible suspense over the first 5-6 years and the sense of occasion of buying a brand new car is just too sweet!

Btw, I think (not certain though) Audi ditched the air suspension on the A6 matrix facelift for India, so if you have anything going for this car don't let the air suspension pull you down.

Here's what BHPian adi.mariner had to say on the matter:

All the best for the purchase. Keep the following points in mind while buying a used car specifically a German one:

• Do not max out your budget buying the car. Something like if your budget is 25 lakhs, buy a car worth 18-20 lakhs and keep the rest as an emergency fund for unexpected maintenance.
• Find an FNG who specializes in servicing German cars after your car is out of warranty.

Rest of the things will be as usual for buying used cars. If the maintenance has been done on time, etc.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The ghats do eat up battery fast! So we used 97 km of range for 84 km of real world driving.

BHPian Pippoosh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

One month update on my Audi e-tron 55 quattro:

So we finally took the e-tron out of the city post junior's exams and all. Being the first time, thought we'd do a simple getaway to Khandala from Mumbai. Distance per google maps door-to-door was 84.2 Km each way.

And boy, what an INSANE experience We had read multiple US/UK reviews and tips and tricks about hypermiling in an EV, and folks, this is real in 2022 in India and not a theoretical concept anymore. Stay between 60 - 100 kmph, light foot on the pedal, auto drive mode, ACs at steady 23 degrees, sunroof shut.

At the start: 366 km range on full battery; Real world range is somewhere between 350 and 400 depending on how you drive. The range is estimated based on the last few km you drive, so this is fairly dynamic:

At Khandala: 269 km range remaining. The ghats do eat up battery fast! So we used 97 km of range for 84 km of real world driving:

At the end: 298 km range!! Yes you saw that right, the battery power went UP via regen on the way back, more than compensating for excess draw uphill:

Took us about 1h 45 min each way, mostly because of traffic at the Mumbai end of things and the tolls.

Fun fact: The electricity bill for this trip nets out to Rs. 100 only, while the tolls we paid added up to Rs. 486. So for anyone thinking about an EV today, go for it!!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Coming from the 105 hp diesel mill of my (ex) Vento, the petrol refinement in the A4 feels surreal.

BHPian JoshMachine recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The 4 rings come home, finally!

The car, decked up like a schönes geschenk, arrived home on the auspicious 2nd of April:

..and started beaming into the parking lot immediately:

Today is already the 4th day but the waterfall of excitement continues to drown us! Thanks Mr. Horch, for the wonderful legacy.

Have managed to take the odo to only 237 km so far. Am completely enamored with what I have seen so far, the sweet 'Audi type' font-face on the perfectly symmetrical dials:

And have some, what they call as 'tip of the iceberg' observations to share herewith:

• Overall:- Mind-blowing & Addictive, 2 words to describe the ownership experience so far
• Suspension:- the 5-link suspension at the front and rear, works EXACTLY like advertised. Comfort rough road suspension is the fancy adjective here, and does it behave like that!
• Engine:- the EA888 190 hp TFSI is a gem of an engine. Coming from the 105 hp diesel mill of my (ex) Vento, the petrol refinement in the A4 feels surreal. I am yet to get used to the in-line acceleration trajectory, but all I can say it is addictive, and some more!
• Interiors:- Everything is built to last, and maybe built on some other planet. And totally empirical, by the way,
• NVH:- Not a single, unnecessary unit of decibel inside the cabin when the windows are rolled up. Feels like a tomb (eerily) when the music is turned off.
• Ride & handling:- very good. I can't wait to rejuvenate our Pune-Nagpur/Bhopal 850km day-long trips. Possibly more.
• Driving:- Plenty to choose from Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic (there's Individual also). Different modes for different moods.
• Audio quality/ In-car entertainment:- Involving. Engaging. Lots to play around. More than enough for us, 10 speakers.
• S-tronic:- Don't have enough adjectives for this piece of engineering marvel. And with the specially adapted version for the longitudinal engine of the A4, the joy gets multiplied. I have been driving the smaller DQ200 for 87,000+ km and I can FEEL the difference, literally & immediately.
• myAudi Connect:- of all the lot, the app experience has been slightly iffy. Audi has put a picture of the B8 model for the B9 A4 that I own! Some info (like the one on trip details including hard acceleration, hard braking etc) is useful, while some other info is just for the uninitiated.

Some pics from the myAudi Connect..

Shocked to see this prev-gen image:

Have emailed Audi India, btw.

A good variety of information on the app home page:

As mentioned earlier, the above points are my initial observations and not detailed/complete as such. Am getting the ownership report ready for the TBHP foundry, as I clock more miles and explore a thing or two more in the process. Also, will continue to learn from the valuable ownership experiences that have been already put up on the forum.

P.S. the swastik mark on the bonnet was present for a brief duration. Promptly removed with a acetone-free, gentle cleanser after the pics were taken.

Checkout BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The e-tron is simply one size bigger than the other two. Its more like a "Q6" in terms of size in between the Q5 and the Q7 and has only 2 rows of seats.

BHPian Pippoosh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So after a couple of months of R&D including feedback from my friends in other countries where EVs are more mainstream, and a few test drives in real Indian conditions we finally got home an Audi e-tron 55 in Navarra Blue a couple of weeks ago.

We were in the market for a nice upgrade from our 12 year old Honda Civic that has valiantly slogged for 100k Km so far. We started by looking at the new Skoda Superb, but soon enough the desire to upgrade to a luxury brand got us into looking at the Germans. Once you've been spoiled by the space on offer in a Superb, then the X1/GLA/Q3, X3/GLC/Q5 or A4/C/3 Series don't really cut it. With God's grace, budget not being a constraint, we were soon looking at the BMW 6 GT (the rear spoiler is super cool) and Merc E as options.

Having reached that level and given that we tend to own our cars for a long time, we then decided that might as well go electric now itself and enjoy being a pioneer instead of going the ICE route and then looking for a change in 5-6 years time. So that narrowed the scope down to the Audi e-tron, the Jaguar i-Pace and the Merc EQC. The BMW iX was sold out to the select few nobles in India and the dealer shooed us away like beggars without as much as a "let me note your contact details".

Key reasons for finally choosing the e-tron over everything else came down to a few simple things in the end:

• Space: The e-tron is simply one size bigger than the other two. Its more like a "Q6" in terms of size in between the Q5 and the Q7 and has only 2 rows of seats. However, the first two rows actually have more space than the Q7's first two rows. Super comfortable and you can actually seat 4 in the back seat.
• Technology: All the cars have the top end specs for their respective brands. However, the Audi's tech pack with the Digital Matrix lights, the 900 combination ambient lighting are one step above the other two. Standard goodies like 360 camera, air suspension, etc. are essential in this country not to bang your new wheels in our traffic and roads!
• Practicality: The Jag has a fixed glass roof that heats up like crazy in our weather - while in theory the AC can handle it, it eats up your battery fast. This is likely to be a problem for the Teslas too, as an when they come to India. Also, the boot has very little useable space because the spare tire sits in it. So you can pay 1 Cr+ and have as much boot space as a Suzuki Alto. The Merc has super low ground clearance because of the battery pack and with no-air suspension - so you are guaranteed to hit every other road hump in this country. The Audi suffers from none of these issues - it has a fully closeable sun-roof with blinds, boot space is enormous with the spare tire tucked away under the normal boot and with air suspension you get those critical extra 3 cm of ground clearance. Finally the Audi comes with a 22 KW home charger, that is 2x the speed of the other two - then it becomes a no-brainer really.

We've done some 400 km in it so far - ride is brilliant, silent and after a while you get used to the driving mechanics which is somewhat a mix between an automatic and a manual - it doesn't creep forward like an automatic and you have to press the accelerator to make it go, but then there's no gear shifting involved.

Real world range seems to be between 330 and 370 km, haven't done enough running to figure that out accurately yet.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

After this special experience when I drove my Volkswagen Vento, I felt like someone's dragging the car from behind.

BHPian JoshMachine recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got to know that the Audi A4 is now moved into the seller's market, at least for the next 2-3 months. No ready inventory is available in Pune (and probably most of the West India zone area as well), which means buyers won't have the sweet deals that were available off the shelf till recently.

One will have to wait till Jan/Feb'22 when the stocks will start again filling up, and that too on a priority demand basis, is what I was told. That means the next set of discounts should start pouring in by March'22.

Also, took the opportunity to do a longish test drive of the A4, and, boy, was I blown away!

All this while, I have been only hearing about the super-carpet ride of the A4. But when I experienced it myself, I was thoroughly impressed.

The demo car in silver, and it looked gorgeous both from outside-in + inside-out:

I took the test drive car (3000-odd km driven, very well maintained Navarra Blue with beige interior, Technology variant) for a longish 25-30 km drive on all types of roads - paved/non-paved/concrete/potholed/pebbled etc. Also, encountered some large speed-breakers on the service road. But not once did I flinch or felt the undulations or any sort of wobbly behaviour. Very plush and pliant.

The DSG coupled with the TFSI engine was super smooth, took off without any fuss.

Would give top marks to the brilliant engineering.

Everything inside felt like built to last - the knurled knobs, the sun blinds on the rear windows, the AC vent controls, etc., all buttons had a nice but firm resistance which made them feel kind of ultra-premium.

All in all, I would definitely consider this as a candidate for my upgrade.

And to make the entire experience even more special, look what I was offered as a complimentary ride:

Yes sir, the sexy RS5 Sportback in Turbo Blue!

I was just gushing like a kid who had been gifted a brand new Hot Wheels collection, with only 1 difference - these wheels had 450 horses for company!

After all this pumped-up drama, when I went back to driving the poor man's DSG in my Vento, I literally felt like somebody was dragging the car from behind. I double-checked if the parking brake was ON!

Such was the anti-climax of experiencing a 105 hp Vento after experiencing the madness of a 450 hp Sportback beautiful piece of art.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.