More than 80,000 vehicles sold
in China for the first time
China as second home market
for Audi
124 exclusive dealerships –
and rising
Ingolstadt - Audi extended its
market leadership further in the premium segment in China in
2006: a total of 81,708 vehicles were sold last year on this
market (including Hong Kong). This represents an increase of
38.8 percent. The Audi A6L made a major contribution to this
success: 61,686 units of the Chinese version of the A6 were
produced at the Changchun plant (up 36.5 percent). This makes
China the biggest market for the A6 saloon. The Audi A4, also
produced in Changchun, recorded an increase of 44.3 percent to
15,536 units. In terms of imports (3,586 vehicles, up 64.2
percent), the Audi A8 achieved significant growth (up 33.4
percent) to 2,778 vehicles. The Audi Q7 was successfully
launched in the middle of the year (units sold: 808).
.
The highlight of 2006 was the
presentation of the new Audi TT Coupé with the simultaneous
unveiling of a TT sculpture during the Beijing Motor Show in
November. The larger-than-life car on the forecourt of the
Oriental Plaza symbolized the strong presence of Audi in China
and became a real crowd-puller in the centre of Beijing. Audi’s
new attraction, the 309 kW (420 bhp) Audi R8 sports car, also
made its Chinese debut at the motor show.
Ralph Weyler, Board Member for
Marketing and Sales at Audi, sums it up as follows: “The year
2006 represents a further milestone in Audi’s success story in
China. We are delighted at the outstanding results – especially
as China is on the way to becoming Audi’s second home market. In
order to continue increasing our sales volume in future, we will
be constantly expanding our exclusive dealer network.”
There are currently 124 exclusive Audi
dealerships located in 86 cities. China is the third-largest foreign
market for Audi. Audi has been present on the Chinese market since 1988.
