Audi: record deliveries of more than 652,950 cars in first half

Audi AG delivered more than 652,950 cars to customers worldwide in the first six months of the year, an increase of 17.7 percent on the same period in 2010. Demand for the premium carmaker’s SUV models rose significantly, while the Audi A1 and the A8 brought additional growth. 

“The first half of the year was clearly better than we had expected – above all thanks to a strong performance in European markets,” comments Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at Audi AG. “We are also optimistic about the coming months. Even though the second half is traditionally weaker, we will be launching high-volume models specifically important to European markets, the new A6 Avant and the Audi Q3.” 

From January through June, total sales in Europe rose by 13.5 percent to around 382,850 cars. The main drivers of this growth were the Audi A1 and the A8, the latter having been steadily increasing its market shares since its introduction at the start of last year. Sales of Audi’s large SUV, Q7, gained 23.5 percent over the same period last year. 

With a total of 125,091 cars sold in the German market, Audi AG improved on the prior-year period by 15.7 percent. Other notable sales increases were achieved in France (up 26.1 percent), United Kingdom (up 11.7 percent) and Scandinavia (up 19.3 percent). Demand for Audi models also rose in Eastern Europe – with 24.1 percent more units sold in Russia, bringing the total to 11,757 cars. 

In the United States, Audi advanced by 15.4 percent to 55,909 cars in the first half of the year. Progress in Asia was again dominated by rising sales figures in the biggest market, China. Audi sold 140,699 cars there in the first half of the year, 28 percent more than in the first six months of 2010 and substantially more than in its German home market. 

The other Asian country among the booming BRIC countries, India, is becoming an increasingly important market for Audi. With unit sales of 2,802 cars over the first six months – a rate of increase of 100.1 percent – India lay well ahead of the main growth markets in America, namely Brazil (2,182 cars, up 47.0 percent) and Argentina (2,657 cars, up 29.5 percent). 

Schwarzenbauer added: “In China mobility is happening top-down. That society’s elite has long been driving full-size cars; the new, affluent middle class is now discovering smaller premium vehicles. In India, mobility is taking shape in the lower segments; the premium market for larger vehicles is now growing continuously. We have decided to introduce our new Audi Q3 in India to support that development.”