• Unit sales in China exceed 300,000 cars for first time
• Imported vehicles achieve 89 percent growth
• China now Audi’s biggest single market
Audi established a new record for the Chinese market in 2011: With deliveries to customers reaching 313,036 (up 37 percent) the company sold more cars in China and Hong Kong than in any previous year and again secured the position of China’s premium segment leader. China thus took over as Audi’s largest sales market worldwide in 2011. Imported models enjoyed above-average growth of 89 percent, to reach a record total of 57,888 units (without Hong Kong). Locally built vehicles, too, had an excellent year with a total of 252,000 units, representing growth of 29 percent.
“This figure has yet again outstripped our sales forecast by some distance,” remarked Peter Schwarzenbauer, AUDI AG Board Member for Marketing and Sales. “Particularly the premium segment in China is making very healthy progress – in our view it continues to offer very good growth potential.”
Among the models built in Changchun, the Audi Q5 remained market leader of its segment, with 54,260 units delivered, up 93 percent. The long-wheelbase version of the A4 likewise reached a new record total of 84,508 deliveries, up 52 percent, an achievement mirrored by the Audi A6L, sales of which reached 113,232 units – the new generation of this model is due to for launch in the first half of 2012.
The growth drivers among the imported models were the Audi Q7, with 19,063 units delivered (up 70 percent), followed by the Audi A8L with 12,425 units (up 153 percent). China is the biggest market in the world for both models.
The Company is priming its production operations to handle further growth. Last year, Audi production capacity at the FAW-VW joint venture in Changchun was stepped up to 300,000 units. In December, Audi and FAW-VW jointly announced their future production plans at a new plant in Foshan, in South China. Audi production at the Foshan plant will commence from 2013 on, with a volume of 150,000 to 200,000 units.
Audi also collected accolades for customer satisfaction in China in 2011. In the J.D. Power SSI study, the brand with the four rings came out on top. In order to provide excellent service for the rapidly growing number of customers, the Audi dealer network was also expanded nationwide to 225 establishments in over 100 cities. The number of dealers is set to exceed 400 by the end of 2013.
Audi AG
