Unit sales at Audi continue to increase. In May the Ingolstadt company sold 14.6 percent more cars worldwide than in May 2009. With around 94,900 units last month, the number of premium cars sold so far this year has increased to about 455,700, a rise of 21.7 percent. AUDI AG recorded growth in all regions, achieving the biggest increases in the company’s most important export markets China, Great Britain and the United States.
“The Audi brand has made a significant leap forward in the U.S. market during the crisis. Yet despite optimistic planning, we didn’t expect the trend in sales figures to be so strong,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “For the overall year of 2010, I expect a significantly double-digit growth rate.” Over the first five months, AUDI AG increased its unit sales in the U.S. market by 31.4 percent to 39,839 cars; in May the figures increased again by 22.7 percent.
A high share of the increasing unit sales was sold in Great Britain. In the Ingolstadt company’s third-largest export market, 8,892 customers chose a new Audi in May – 26.6 percent more than during the same month of last year. Over the first five months Audi thus sold 23.5 percent more cars than in the period of January to May in 2009. The brand also achieved significant growth in Russia. In May, AUDI AG increased its unit sales in this crisis-ridden market by 30.3 percent; over the first five months Audi sold 27.6 percent more cars here than during the same period of 2009. In all European export markets (outside Germany), Audi sales increased by 11.4 percent in May to around 38,600 cars. Cumulatively, that meant a growth of 14 percent to around 190,300 units.
Schwarzenbauer: “In Europe we will experience an additional boost with the Audi A1. We have been taking orders for the past four weeks – and so far have registered more orders than for any other model in such an early phase.” The Audi A1 should be available at dealerships in late August and is initially intended exclusively for the European market.
In the Asia-Pacific region, China again led the growth in sales: a rise of 39.9 percent compared with May 2009 has meant 17,396 Audi deliveries to China in the last month alone. Over the first five months, 88,451 Chinese customers chose a model with four rings – another record result for the leading premium brand in China. But Audi also sold significantly more cars than in the preceding year in all other markets of the region, with sales increasing in Japan (plus 16.1 percent), Australia (plus 17.5 percent) and India (plus 65.3 percent).
