Audi sets new half-year record with 869,350 unit sales

With year-on-year sales growth of 11.4 percent, Audi AG has achieved the best first half year in its history. The German carmaker sold around 869,350 cars globally between January-June 2014. In June alone, it delivered 155,450 cars worldwide, exceeding the figure in the same period last year by 10.8 percent. Sales were particularly strong in North America, up by 21.2 percent year-on-year.

“In the first half of this year we have already delivered more cars than in the whole of 2005. The successful A3 family and the full-size segment in particular helped accelerate our global growth in the first six months,” says Luca de Meo, member of the Board of Management for Sales at Audi AG. “We’re also optimistic for the upcoming months and will carry forward the momentum from the first half of the year.”

Sales of the new A3 family increased by 49.4 percent to around 144,750 units since January. Deliveries of the Audi Q3 (+37.0%), Q5 (+5.5%) and Q7 (+20.8%) SUV models also rose substantially over this period. Sales in the full-size segment with the A6, A7, Q7 and A8 models also performed equally positively, with combined sales increasing by 10.1 percent to 219,450 units. Audi’s top model, the A8, grew in June alone by 23.7 percent to 4,023 units.

North America turned out to be an important growth region (+12.8%). In June, 20,158 cars were sold in the region – a year-on-year increase of 21.2 percent. The US market saw sales of 84,349 units (+13.6%) in the first six months. Canada (+8.8%) and Mexico (+10.4%) also contributed to the growth in North America in the first half of the year.

In the Americas, Brazil provided the fastest pace of growth. Sales of 6,229 cars (+141.4%) have already managed those in Brazil for the whole of 2013 after six months.

In China, Audi delivered more than 50,000 units to customers for the first time in June. Deliveries of the compact SUV Q3 were up 61.3 percent to 7,149 units.

In Europe, sales rose 6.4 percent to 69,250 cars and saw total sales of 410,050 units between January and June. The southern European markets also did well – 22,789 Spanish customers took delivery of their new Audi in the first six months (+8.1%). The A3 Sportback in particular accelerated sales growth in Spain in the first half of the year thanks to an increase of 18.0 percent. In Italy, deliveries were up 4.6 percent between January and June to 25,979 cars. In Germany, Audi sales grew by 9.1 percent to 140,003 cars, while in the United Kingdom sales rose 12.6 percent to 83,357 units.