Audi Sales Growing Steadily Through April

AudiAudiGermany, 1909 > present83 models
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has released its cumulative sales for the first four months of the year and for April alone, and it is growing steadily. So far this year, it has sold 503,000 cars worldwide this year, up 6.7% from this time last year, and it sold 133,500 cars in April, up 6.6% compared to last April. It is expecting even higher sales later in the year when the Q3Audi Q3Germany, 2011 > present66 versions
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and Q5Audi Q5 Gen.1Germany, 2008 > 201663 versions
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begin local Chinese production, which will reduce their prices because of lower tariffs.

“Given the extremely difficult market situation in Europe, we see our global sales result of April as positive. Especially the USA and China are currently setting the pace for Audi,” said Luca de Meo, head of sales and marketing at Audi.

SUV sales are pushing Audi forward in China. Of its 38,710 sales there in April, 11,784 were its SUVs. It has sold 141,520 cars in China so far this year, up 13.9%.

The high Chinese sales are offsetting poor sales in Europe, which fell 1.9% in April to 65,500 cars. Markets like France and Italy had double-digit reductions in sales. Even German sales were down 3.7%.

Russia and the UK are still proving to be resilient to the general European decline with sales up 11.1% and 9.4% respectively.

So far this year, Audi has sold 253,050 cars in Europe, compared to 253,058 cars in the same period last year.

North America has also been strong for Audi sales. The United States was up 14.2% in April with 13,157 cars sold. It is also the first month of Audi’s diesel offensive in the US, and the A6Audi A6 Gen.4Germany, 2011 > present93 versions
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, A7Audi A7Germany, 2010 > present39 versions
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, A8Audi A8 Gen.3Germany, 2010 > present48 versions
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and Q5 will all be available with diesel options.

Mexico is also growing quickly with sales up 54.7% to 3,553 units so far this year. Sales were up 74.8% in April to 944 cars.

Audi has been building up its infrastructure in North America recently. The foundation stone for the brand’s new factory in San José Chiapa, Mexico, was laid at the end of April.

According to a report from Automotive News Europe, Audi has also been in negotiations with the Brazilian government to build a vehicle assembly plant there, but it is having problems getting clarification from the government about what percentage of a vehicle must be built in Brazil to be considered locally built. If the questions are answered, it is possible that Audi could add a factory in Brazil after the Mexican plant is finished in 2016.

Source: Automotive News Europe