Audi record sales of 1,455,100 vehicles in 2012

New record for AUDI AG: in 2012, the automaker has sold more than 1,455,100 vehicles upscale in the world, an increase of 11.7% over the previous year. The Ingolstadt company has significantly exceeded its target of 1.4 million cars sold, mainly thanks to strong performance in North America and Asia. With more than 152,000 additional units compared to 2011, is the second largest increase in sales in the history of Audi. If we just returned a year back, Audi had attracted 210,000 new customers in 2011.

"In 2012, Audi broke new records in each of the regions of the world, Europe included. We managed to fight the negative trend of the market and continue to grow, maintaining our leadership position in high-end manufacturer in Europe. "Precise Luca De Meo, Member of the Board of AUDI AG and Head of Sales & Marketing Administration. Worldwide, our new models in particular have allowed us to grow significant manner compared to the previous year, particularly the popular Audi Q3: it allows the complete SUV segment become a key offering in reaching for first time? our sales. "

The launch of the Audi Q3 debuted in October 2011, so 2012 was its first full year. In Europe alone, Audi delivers over 78,700 units of its compact SUV to its customers on the totality of the year elapsed. Another model was launched in autumn 2011 and has been a true success in this market is the Audi A6 Avant. Near 60% of customers Audi A6 in Europe opts for the version before this great routiere. Sales of the Audi A6 Avant have increased by 38.9%, reaching nearly 63,100 units in 2012. All models combined, AUDI AG sold 739,000 units in Europe the previous year, rising 1.8 % in a particularly sluggish running.

Thanks to these performances and despite the upcoming launch of the new generation Audi A3 Sportback has impacted deliveries last month of December, the Ingolstadt manufacturer has achieved record sales including its three biggest european steps:

Germany AUDI AG saw its sales increase by 3.6%, with a new record 263,163 units. This allowed him to reach the part of the highest in its history walk: 8.6%. In the UK, the German manufacturer has almost doubled its sales in 10 years with a growth of 7.2% to 123,640 units in 2012 as a recording the new record. By comparison, Audi sold 65,552 units there in 2002. In France, despite a market contraction, Audi has managed to beat his record in 2012. With 62,202 units (+0.3%), the Ingolstadt manufacturer maintains there its position as No. 1 premium segment.

The significant deterioration in the economic situation has led to a decline in sales of 17.0% to 50,085 units in Italy and -11.8% to 23,139 units in Spain in 2012. However, in these two countries, numbers of registrations have not been trained as brutally as the decline in their respective works. In contrast, Audi saw its sales develop significant way in Russia in the year 2012: 33,512 vehicles were books to Russian customers and representing an increase of 44.1% compared to 2011 and thus allowing Russia to enter the Top 10 markets for Audi with one of the best progressions. By comparison, sales of AUDI AG in Russia in 2009 were of 15,009 units, slightly less than half that in 2012.

In the United States, Audi set a record on each elapsed month and has seen accelerating growth in sales. End of 2012, 139,310 high-end vehicles and have been books, an increase of 18.5% over the previous year. In the space of five years, Audi of America and pushing sales by 50% (93,506 in 2007). 2012 in particular saw very large segment appreciated Driving to meet a real success at Audi: the combined sales of the Audi A6 and the Audi A7 Sportback, Audi Q7 and Audi A8 flagship thus increases near 39.0%. A alone, sales of the Audi A6 sedan, the new generation was sold in American distributors for the first time in a full year, have reached 18,998 units, an increase of 73.7% compared 2011. Results of sales of the other two major steps of the North American continent have followed the same trend.

In Canada, sales increased by 18.6% reaching 20,000 vehicles in Mexico and 17.7% to 9,482 vehicles.

In China, Audi clearly confirms its position as No. 1 premium segment in the year 2012. With 405,838 deliveries, the automaker from Ingolstadt passes for the first time more than 400,000 units, largely exceeding that of reached 300,000 a year earlier. Behind this increase of 29.6% in total, selling models assembled in Changchun who wins a net success: despite a change of model in March, Audi has sold for the first time more than 130,000 units of its version Long Audi A6 sedan (132,872 units). The Audi A6L and Audi remains the best-selling model in China and best-selling all brands in the premium segment. 93,030 Chinese customers have chosen them as to the Audi Q5 last year, an increase of 63.8% versus 2011. At the global scale, this SUV model has also been a new leader in its segment with 206 000 units sold.

A significant number of emerging markets have grown in importance for Audi because of high growth rates: this is the case for example of South Korea (+46.0% to 15,100 units), Africa South (15.5% to 16,771 units) and India, and sales climbed 63.4% to 9,003 units. Audi sales in Turkey increased by 17.7% to 14,487 units, allowing a country to be part of the 50 others in which Audi set a record in 2012.