Audi Annual Press Conference: Following Record Deliveries in 2013 Further Growth for 2014

INGOLSTADT, Germany, March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

* Audi Group in 2013 at a glance: A total of approx. 1.575 million Audi brand cars delivered, € 49.9 billion revenue, € 5.030 billion operating profit, and 10.1 percent operating return on sales.

* CEO Rupert Stadler: "2013 was an extraordinary year and we remain on course for success in 2014."

* Audi plans to recruit more people this year: In Germany alone, the Company will take on 1,500 new employees and 750 apprentices.

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The Audi Group continues to pursue its strategic goals systematically. The Company delivered a strong set of figures for fiscal 2013: With around 1.575 million cars of the Audi brand delivered, the Ingolstadt carmaker achieved new record sales and reached the target that it had set itself for 2015 - more than 1.5 million deliveries - two years earlier than planned. Meanwhile the Audi Group increased its revenue to € 49.9 billion and again achieved an operating profit of more than € 5 billion. The operating return on sales for 2013 as a whole came to 10.1 percent, which is slightly above the strategic target corridor of eight to ten percent. The Company intends to maintain its growth in future, and between now and 2018 will be investing around € 22 billion in innovations and new technologies as well as in expanding its worldwide manufacturing structures. In Germany alone, this year the brand with the four rings will be taking on 1,500 new employees and offering apprenticeships to 750 young people.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140311/674189 )

Audi today presents all its key figures for the 2013 fiscal year at the Annual Press Conference, taking place at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. The Board of Management of AUDI AG also gives its outlook for 2014. In front of more than 300 international journalists, Audi boss Rupert Stadler will declare: "2013 was an extraordinary year and we also remain on course for success in 2014. The past twelve months have seen us embark on a huge globalization drive in opening new plants in Hungary and China, as well as preparing for local production operations in Mexico and Brazil. The new A3 family* is proving very popular with our customers, as are our SUV models in the Q car line." The Company successfully maintained its product initiative. Having launched 15 new models and derivative versions in 2013, the brand with the four rings will be launching 17 new cars in 2014 alone.

Last year, Audi achieved a strong set of figures despite the overall decline in car sales in Europe: For example, the Company delivered 1,575,480 (2012: 1,455,123) cars of the Audi brand to customers worldwide - a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent. 2013 saw the Audi Group increase its revenue to € 49.880 (2012: 48.771) billion. This represented a further increase of 2.3 percent on the previous year's high level, despite negative exchange effects.

In view of increasing research and development costs for new products and technologies, intensive advance payments for systematically expanding the international production network and also the challenging market environment, above all in Europe, the operating profit was below the previous year's high level, at € 5.030 (2012: 5.365) billion. The operating return on sales of 10.1 (2012: 11.0) percent was just above the strategic target corridor of eight to ten percent.

Distribution costs for the Audi Group merely edged up to € 4.641 (2012: 4.594) billion in fiscal 2013. The financial result for the past fiscal year of € 293 (2012: 586) million was down on the previous year's level. The Audi Group thus achieved a profit before tax of € 5.323 (2012: 5.951) billion for fiscal year 2013.

The past fiscal year saw the Company invest ten percent more than in the year before that - in all, more than € 3.5 billion. Until 2018 the Audi Group is planning total capital investments amounting to some € 22 billion. The focus is on new innovations and technologies. The Company's goal remains to finance all investment spending from operating cash flow, which in 2013 reached € 3.2 billion disregarding changes in participations, despite the record capital investments - that is a substantial increase on the prior-year € 2.9 billion.

The year-end position saw the Audi Group having increased its net liquidity to € 14.716 (2012: 13.396) billion. The Company's equity ratio at the balance sheet date was 41.1 (2012: 37.4) percent.

The Audi Group aims to grow in every region of the world in 2014, including Europe. Depending on the wider economic environment, the brand with the four rings expects a slight increase in revenue to more than € 50 billion in fiscal 2014.

The systematic expansion of its international manufacturing structures and the rising advance payments needed for new models and technologies - in particular to comply with tougher CO2 regulations worldwide - will initially have a negative impact on profit in the current fiscal year. At the same time, the positive trend in deliveries and revenue as well as ongoing productivity and process improvements already implemented will impact our operating profit positively. Overall, the Ingolstadt carmaker expects the operating return on sales to lie within its strategic target corridor of eight to ten percent.

Fuel consumption of the models named above:

Audi A3:

Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7 - 3,2;

Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 162 - 85

Audi TT:

This car is not yet on sale. It has not yet been homologated and is therefore not subject to the 1999/94/EG guideline.

Provisional data:

Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7,1 - 4,2;

Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 164 - 110

Corporate Communications
Julio Schuback
Spokesman Finance and Organization
Tel: +49-841-89-38455
E-mail: [email protected]
mailto: http://www.audi-mediaservices.com
http://www.audi-newsroom.de

SOURCE AUDI AG