Audi AG Witness 14.9 percent sales growth in August

Deliveries for Audi AG in August were increased by 14.9 percent on the corresponding prior-year month, to reach some 108,100 automobiles. The past month’s growth was driven by strong sales figures for the brand’s luxury-class models as well as for the Audi Q3 and A1 Sportback. Growth for Audi was especially evident in China (+24.0%), while August was yet another record month for the brand in the United States as well (+13.0%). Sales figures in Europe were also up 8.0 percent, despite the difficult conditions in several markets and the model changeover of the A3. The new generation of the premium compact car was launched on the first European markets in late August.

In Europe, AUDI AG increased its sales by 3.6 percent to some 501,900 units between January and August. The premium manufacturer thus reached the milestone of half a million deliveries on its home continent after just eight months for the first time. In China, the first customers were presented with the keys for their Q3. The brand’s two other SUV models also helped drive the 24.0 percent increase in sales to 34,800 deliveries for Audi on this market in the past month. Demand for the Audi Q7 increased by 39.4 percent on August 2011, while delivery statistics for the Q5 reveal a 34.1 percent increase to 7,316 automobiles. The Audi A7 Sportback was also in strong demand among Chinese customers in August; 1,008 units of the luxury coupe were delivered to China.  In total, Audi delivered 261,548 cars in the company’s largest sales market – an increase of 33.1 percent.

Besides China and Russia, the other BRIC markets rose sharply for Audi in August as well. In India, deliveries increased by 42.4 percent in year-on-year comparison to reach 726, while in Brazil they rose 9.8 percent to 550. Audi also posted high double-digit growth rates in South Africa (+35.0% to 1,500 cars) and South Korea (+38.5% to 1,260 units).

In the United States, the recently launched new generations of the A4 and the A5 were particularly driving continued growth: 11,527 sales, an increase of 13.0 percent for Audi of America in August. Sales of the luxury Q7 SUV rose 32.1 percent. Audi’s U.S. deliveries for the first eight months total 88,392 automobiles, equivalent to growth of 17.5 percent. This upward trend was in large part attributable to strong sales growth for the A6 Sedan: Audi sold 11,844 units of the vehicle in the United States between January and August, more than twice as many as in the same prior-year period.