Audi, the luxury car maker from Germany, have been continuing its excellent performance in the Indian market this year. In the present year, between the months of January and November, the Company has been able to sell 5,117 cars. This has helped them register an impressive 83% growth over the previous year same period (January to November 2010) in which they sold 2,791 cars. To top this, Audi has also been able to surpass the sales figures that they had set for themselves as annual target for the current year. The manufacturer of luxury cars sold a commendable 425 cars in November 2011, exceeding the figure it had achieved last year in the same period by 66% (256 cars sold in November 2010).
The Head of Audi India, Micheal Perschke has said that with the great improvement in their performance till date in 2011, the Company was well placed to finish the year on a high and would exceed their self-set target again. The company attributed this success to their continued focus towards introducing a powerful product line, growing their network as well as creating a strong attraction towards the brand. Perschke also added that the strengthening of their limousines in the ‘A’ range has proven to be a delight for their customers as the vehicle now offered advanced design features, sporty look as well as power packed performance. Audi has also been able to secure a top position in the market segment for luxury SUVs with their Q5 as well as Q7 brands. They were also dominating the segment of super-sports cars with their iconic brand, R8. Perschke expressed that the impressive growth of Audi sales in the current year along with their vast range of products as well as their continuously expanding network of dealers would help Audi retain its position of being the fastest growing brand for luxury cars in India.
A new car showroom was inaugurated recently in Indore, Madhya Pradesh by Audi India. The company also has plans to increase its network of dealerships in the country to 23 by 2012 from the 15 centers it has at present. Earlier in 2011, Audi had inaugurated showrooms at Chennai, Delhi, Surat and Ludhiana. In 2010, the luxury car manufacturer had opened showrooms at Kolkata, Mumbai West, Bengaluru and Jaipur. Delivering strongly on their product line, Audi India has released multiple models into the Indian market; each of these vehicles had a symbol of classic design stamped over them. They started the year 2011 by bringing in the Audi A8 L. This was followed by their two offerings in the super-sports car segment, the Audi R8 Spyder and the Audi R8 V10. The superbly designed Audi A8 Sportback followed the Spyder and the V10. To round up the year, they have brought in two more vehicles – Audi RS5, a high-performing Coupe and the A6, their limousine in the business luxury segment.
On the global front, Audi sold more than 1.08 million cars in the first 10 months of 2011. This gave them an 18% growth over the corresponding period in 2010. Audi has retained top position in China and Europe. They also continued their journey of growth in the Indian and the US markets. China, having overtaken Germany, is now the single largest market for the company. Hence, Audi is planning to use some of their proven successful strategies from the Chinese market, in the auto market of India. This would bring in newer strategies as far as product, brand building and network growth are concerned. The model range of Audi in the Indian market includes – A4, A6, A7 Sportback, A8L, Q7, RS5 Coupe, R8 and R8 Spyder.
