Audi’s global sales increased by 12.9% to 119,600 vehicles last month compared with a year ago. Volkswagen Group’s luxury unit said demand for its vehicles rose in all its major markets, including Europe where the overall auto market is going through a slump due to the region’s economic woes.
The monthly total put Audi ahead of rival BMW, which sold 113,253 BMW brand vehicles last month, up 4.2 percent. Sales of Mercedes-Benz brand cars fell 3.1 percent to 97,327. Audi expects new launches such as the redesigned A3 premium compact car will help boost sales in the second half. Audi’s sales in China, the brand’s biggest single market, rose 18.4% last month to 32,877 giving a combined 7-month sales tally of 226,748, a rise of 34.6%.
Audi said sales of the locally-built Q5 midsize SUV rose 80% in China to 50,170 between in the first 7 months. The automaker launched the Q3 small SUV in the country last month to help boost sales in the important SUV segment. Overall sales in Audi’s European market rose 5.5% to 60,800 last month, defying a downturn in consumer confidence caused by the eurozone crisis. In the first 7 months, sales rose 3.1% to 454,200. Sales in Audi’s biggest European market, Germany, were up 10.7% in July to 23,712 and by 7.8% to 157,885 over 7 months. In Malaysia, Audi continues to do very well. The gray market has seen a significant rise in reconditioned Audis coming in in large numbers.
