.
- Total sales in April up by more than 2.9 percent
- New Audi A4 Avant introduced throughout Europe
- More than 36,000 Audi A5 models sold in its first year
- Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler: "A foretaste of significant growth in the second half of the year"
With the start of the second quarter, sales at AUDI AG are once again showing stronger growth. The brand sold more than 86,700 cars worldwide in the past month. While sales figures over the first four months rose by a total of 1.7 percent to around 338,000 cars, the rate of growth in April alone stood at 2.9 percent. The biggest drivers of the increase in sales were the Eastern European and Asia-Pacific markets.
The brand with the four rings achieved this result despite the current model changeover in its highest-volume model line: The Audi A4 Avant has just been introduced in some European markets, and the A4 Sedan is currently arriving in the first Asian countries. Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler: "The result in April is a foretaste of the significant growth in sales that we expect in the second half of the year. With full availability of the A4 in most major markets, we'll pick up momentum in the third quarter and we'll achieve the millionth car sold by year's end as announced."
Audi recorded particularly high growth rates in April in the strategically important Asia-Pacific and Eastern European markets. With around 12,800 cars sold, sales in the Asia-Pacific region went up by 18 percent compared with sales in April 2007. In China alone (including Hong Kong), the company's biggest foreign market in April, AUDI AG increased sales by 16,3 percent to some 10,028 cars. During the first four months, Audi sold 52,300 cars in the Corporate Communications Esther Bahne Tel: +49 (0)841 89 35430 e-mail: esther.bahne@audi.de 2/2 region, an increase of about 20 percent. In China, the brand handed over 40,453 cars to customers, representing a jump of 22,7 percent.
In Eastern Europe, Audi sold about 13 percent more cars than in the same month last year: here, 3,800 customers bought a new Audi. Sales in Russia alone were up by 17,4 percent, with 1,630 cars sold. Over the first four month, with 14,800 cars, Audi sold almost 15 percent more in the region than during the corresponding period of last year; in Russia the brand boosted sales in this time period by 25 percent to 5,510 cars.
Along with the Audi A4, which is in its seventh generation and is the brand's most successful model, the new A5 model series is also making an important contribution to worldwide growth for Audi. One year after sales of the highly praised coupe were launched, sales - at 36,000 - have far exceeded the company's expectations. This makes the A5 a fitting symbol of the success of AUDI AG's comprehensive product initiative, which the brand is employing to penetrate into new segments. "An intelligent segment strategy - occupying attractive niches with the right models - is crucial to the sustained success of our company," Stadler said.
Along with the Audi A5, other newly introduced models also demonstrate that Audi has answered customer demands. Two years after its launch, the Audi Q7 SUV has become Audi's most successful model on the US market after the A4.
The first supercar from the brand with the four rings is a bestseller: Introduced last year, the stock of Audi R8 cars is sold out for months to come. The premium brand equally expects a rise in sales from the first convertible version of the Audi A3 - the A3 Cabriolet for which orders have been taken since March - and the Audi Q5, which has just been introduced in Beijing.
Photographs and information can be obtained at www.audi-mediaservices.com/en
- Total sales in April up by more than 2.9 percent
- New Audi A4 Avant introduced throughout Europe
- More than 36,000 Audi A5 models sold in its first year
- Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler: "A foretaste of significant growth in the second half of the year"
With the start of the second quarter, sales at AUDI AG are once again showing stronger growth. The brand sold more than 86,700 cars worldwide in the past month. While sales figures over the first four months rose by a total of 1.7 percent to around 338,000 cars, the rate of growth in April alone stood at 2.9 percent. The biggest drivers of the increase in sales were the Eastern European and Asia-Pacific markets.
The brand with the four rings achieved this result despite the current model changeover in its highest-volume model line: The Audi A4 Avant has just been introduced in some European markets, and the A4 Sedan is currently arriving in the first Asian countries. Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler: "The result in April is a foretaste of the significant growth in sales that we expect in the second half of the year. With full availability of the A4 in most major markets, we'll pick up momentum in the third quarter and we'll achieve the millionth car sold by year's end as announced."
Audi recorded particularly high growth rates in April in the strategically important Asia-Pacific and Eastern European markets. With around 12,800 cars sold, sales in the Asia-Pacific region went up by 18 percent compared with sales in April 2007. In China alone (including Hong Kong), the company's biggest foreign market in April, AUDI AG increased sales by 16,3 percent to some 10,028 cars. During the first four months, Audi sold 52,300 cars in the Corporate Communications Esther Bahne Tel: +49 (0)841 89 35430 e-mail: esther.bahne@audi.de 2/2 region, an increase of about 20 percent. In China, the brand handed over 40,453 cars to customers, representing a jump of 22,7 percent.
In Eastern Europe, Audi sold about 13 percent more cars than in the same month last year: here, 3,800 customers bought a new Audi. Sales in Russia alone were up by 17,4 percent, with 1,630 cars sold. Over the first four month, with 14,800 cars, Audi sold almost 15 percent more in the region than during the corresponding period of last year; in Russia the brand boosted sales in this time period by 25 percent to 5,510 cars.
Along with the Audi A4, which is in its seventh generation and is the brand's most successful model, the new A5 model series is also making an important contribution to worldwide growth for Audi. One year after sales of the highly praised coupe were launched, sales - at 36,000 - have far exceeded the company's expectations. This makes the A5 a fitting symbol of the success of AUDI AG's comprehensive product initiative, which the brand is employing to penetrate into new segments. "An intelligent segment strategy - occupying attractive niches with the right models - is crucial to the sustained success of our company," Stadler said.
Along with the Audi A5, other newly introduced models also demonstrate that Audi has answered customer demands. Two years after its launch, the Audi Q7 SUV has become Audi's most successful model on the US market after the A4.
The first supercar from the brand with the four rings is a bestseller: Introduced last year, the stock of Audi R8 cars is sold out for months to come. The premium brand equally expects a rise in sales from the first convertible version of the Audi A3 - the A3 Cabriolet for which orders have been taken since March - and the Audi Q5, which has just been introduced in Beijing.
Photographs and information can be obtained at www.audi-mediaservices.com/en
