•Unit sales leap in Germany: 18.4 percent up on prior-year month
•Healthy growth rates for SUVs, Q3 arriving in fourth quarter
•Sales chief Schwarzenbauer: “Now able to build an annual 300,000 cars locally in China”
Ingolstadt: Audi AG has enjoyed a further increase in unit sales:
In May the Company sold 113,400 cars, 19.5 percent up on the prior-year month.From January through May, 535,400 customers chose a new Audi, an increase of 17.5 percent. In both Germany and China, by some distance the most important markets for Audi, the premium manufacturer again registered accelerating growth in May. The rate of increase in Germany was 18.4 percent, taking the total to 23,401 cars, and in China unit sales were up 44.6 percent. Sales also boomed in the other BRIC countries alongside China.
“We have completed the capacity extensions to our production line in Changchun and are now able to build 300,000 cars locally there each year,” commented Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “Meanwhile our growth strategy for imported models is also bearing fruit: From January through May we sold 21,817 imported cars in China – an increase of 76.7 percent on the prior-year period”. In May alone, AUDI AG imported 5,147 cars into China, up 137.7 percent on the prior-year month.
May also saw Audi achieve high double-digit growth rates in Russia, where sales were up 41 percent to 2,302 cars. In Brazil, sales last month rose by 56.3 percent to 461 units and in India by 104 percent to 408 automobiles.
In the United States, Audi advanced by another 13.6 percent in May to 10,457 cars. Over the first five months of the year the brand with the four rings thus increased its unit sales in the U.S. market by 15.1 percent compared with the corresponding period of 2010, reaching a total of 45,858 cars.
Strong figures in the important French (up 21.4 percent) and Italian (up 7.2 percent) markets fueled 12.1 percent increase in European unit sales to 65,400 cars. However, the biggest factor behind progress in the region was the sales jump in Germany, which was driven mainly by the Audi A1, the new A6 Saloon and the continuing success of the Audi Q5.
The brand’s two SUVs, the Audi Q5 and Audi Q7, achieved particularly high growth rates worldwide: Q5 sales in May increased by 27.7 percent to 145,600 units, partly thanks to CKD production in China, with overall growth for the first five months coming in at 26.7 percent to reach a total of 70,700 units. Q7 sales were up 41.8 percent in May to 5,000 units; from January through May Audi sold 23,100 units, 46.7 percent more than in the prior-year period. “The segment for SUV models is growing – virtually everywhere in the world. That gives us cause to be optimistic about the prospects of the Audi Q3, which we will be bringing onto the market in the fourth quarter,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer.
Audi continued its remarkable performance in India with a sale of 408 cars in May 2011 - a growth of 104 percent (200 cars: May 2010). For the period January – May 2011, the company sold 2394 cars – an impressive growth of 105 percent over the same period last year (1167 cars: Jan – May 2010).
“We attribute our solid sales growth to our philosophy of thinking ahead of the curve and our ability to bring innovative and progressive products to India. This strong growth rate, even in times of rising fuel prices and interest rates, demonstrates the strong brand and product pull. The recently launched Audi A7 Sportback and Audi RS5 have received an overwhelming response from our customers across the country. The new Audi A6, which soon arrives on Indian roads, will further consolidate our position in the luxury limousine segment. I am confident that with the support of our dealer partners and our loyal customer base, 2011 will be a defining year for Audi in India”, said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.
