„„By Zahara Zuhair As Audi A4 would be steering on the local roads by April, Audi Sri Lanka has partnered Mercantile Investments and Finance PLC to offer attractive and innovative finance schemes for their clients to acquire the A4. “With a customised re-payment option we have introduced this innovative scheme, the novel Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) method will ease the financial burden for our clients,” said Audi Colombo Director Rajieve M Fernando. “Over the past three years, locally Audi has been growing rapidly and consistently.

Audis global standards also been improving year-on-year in terms of technology and innovation,” he said. He noted that the Audi’s future in Sri Lanka is extremely positive and they have seen a 70 percent growth last year. Talking about the Audi A4, he said that it has a new generation four-cylinder TFSI engine with finest quality driver assistance systems and infotainment. “In Sri Lanka we plan to launch the A4 in April in 2016,” he said.

The latest addition, Audi A4 has been garnered as the ‘Car of the year 2016’ at the annual ‘What Car?’ awards in London as the world premiere of this car took place at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September last year. “In fact we have already given Audi a order of 15 units, we have only 15 on display during the launch and 10 can be sold immediately at the launch itself,” the Director disclosed to Mirror Business. He said that the starting price of the cars would be Rs 11.5 million upwards and they would be targeting the young clientele. Detailing about the offer, Mercantile Investment and Finance PLC Assistant General Manager Hirantha Pandithasekara said that they are excited to partner a lifestyle brand of such and they are willing to work on the individual client requirements.

“We offer packages for different customers on different requirements,” he said. Speaking on this further Pandithasekara said, “We have made packages because we want the client to own a vehicle which he is unable to own, for example you make some down payment today and start paying the rental after one year, so the first year you won’t pay a rental, you will pay from the second year”. Adding to that, the Director said the reason to tie up with Mercantile was mainly because of the flexibility of the company.