24 Percent Growth: Audi Sales hit All-time High in Middle East

DUBAI, UAE, October 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• Deliveries in the first nine months exceed same period in 2008
• 2011 on track for 25 percent growth target and new record year overall
• Luxury-class SUV Audi Q7 and A8 L flagship best selling models

Audi reports a record of 5,602 vehicles sold in the Middle East in the period from January to September 2011 - 24 percent more than during the same period last year. Exceeding even the previous September year-to-date sales record of 2008 (5,504 units), the brand with the four rings remains strongly on track for a new all-time record year in 2011. The largest markets for the German premium manufacturer in the region remain the United Arab Emirates with 2,245 vehicles delivered to customers in the first nine months of 2011 and Saudi Arabia with 1,043 vehicles sold in the same period - a growth of 37 percent in both markets.

Audi attributes its success to the launch of several new models this year including the new Audi A1, A6 and A7. Its best selling models are the Audi Q7 SUV with 1,237 units sold year-to-date and the flagship sedan Audi A8 L with 953 units sold in the same period. They are followed closely by the newly launched Audi A6 with 769 units as well as the Audi A4 and A5 range with 574 and 546 vehicles sold in the same period respectively. The Audi A8 L is also the model with the strongest growth, due to the launch of the new generation at the end of last year.

"Audi is the fastest growing premium brand in the region. We are on track to achieving our 25 percent growth target and an all-time sales record this year. Despite the Arab Spring having affected parts of the region, we have grown strongly through new models and our continuous efforts to delight our customers with a true Audi experience in sales and after sales service throughout our dealer network", said Jeff Mannering, Managing Director of Audi Middle East.

The Audi Group sold around 1,092,400 cars of the Audi brand in 2010. The Company posted revenue of €35.4 billion and an operating profit of €3.3 billion in 2010.. In the first half of 2011, the Audi Group sold 652,970 vehicles bearing the four rings worldwide and achieved record figures in terms of revenue (€21.5 billion) and operating profit (€2.5 billion). Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gyor (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of CKD production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007, of the Audi A4 in early October 2008 and of the Audi Q5 in July 2010. Production of the new Audi A1 has been running at the Brussels plant since May 2010. The Audi Q3 has been built in Martorell (Spain) since June 2011. The Company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant'Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 60,000 people worldwide, including around 46,600 in Germany. Between 2011 and 2015 the brand with the four rings is planning to invest more than €11 billion, mainly in new products, in order to sustain the Company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. By 2015, Audi plans to increase the number of models in its portfolio to 42.

Audi has long been fulfilling its social responsibility on many levels - with the aim of making the future worth living for generations to come. The basis for Audi's lasting success is therefore formed by environmental protection, the conservation of resources, international competitiveness and a forward-looking human resources policy. One example of AUDI AG's commitment to environmental issues is the newly established Audi Environmental Foundation. Under the heading of "Audi balanced mobility", the Company is directing its activities toward a major goal - comprehensive CO₂-neutral mobility.

AUDI AG's commitment to the region was confirmed through the foundation of its fully owned subsidiary in 2005. The current Middle East model range comprises the A1, A3 Sportback and A4, the A5, S5 and RS 5, the A5 Sportback and A5 Cabriolet, the A6, TT Coupe/Roadster and TT RS Coupe, the A7, A8 L, Q5 and Q7, the R8, R8 V10, the R8 Spyder V10 and R8 GT.

SOURCE Audi Middle East