AUDI AG: A4 is Germany’s most successful premium model in 2008

PRESS RELEASE

AUDI AG: A4 is Germany’s most successful premium model in 2008

Ingolstadt, 2009-01-16

• 
  After VW Golf, Audi A4 most frequently bought car in Germany

• Audi A6 and Audi TT most successful models in their classes

• Audi is the premium brand in Germany and Western Europe experiencing the strongest growth

The latest vehicle registration numbers verify that the Audi A4 is Germany’s most successful premium automobile. No other model in the premium segment surpassed the 98,714 A4 models registered last year. The Audi A6 also topped its segment with 45,304 registrations. The second generation of the Audi TT design icon was registered 10,630 times in Germany – making it the most successful sports car in Germany in 2008.

AUDI AG was able to expand its market share on the domestic German market to 8.1 percent – an increase of 0.8 percent. In Western Europe, Audi boosted its market share by 0.4 points to 4.8 percent: No other premium brand succeeded in strengthening its market position this significantly.

“Audi is presently experiencing stronger growth than any other premium brand in the region – and thanks to new models we will maintain this dynamism,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “In a difficult market environment, we want to further expand our market share in Germany and Western Europe.”

The Audi A4 is presently undergoing further upgrading: The top versions of the model line – the S4 Sedan and Avant – are now arriving in Europe’s showrooms. The new A4 Avant was just launched in April 2008. In addition to the fleet award from Auto-Flotte magazine, Audi’s best-selling model has already won countless accolades and has beaten the competition in all relevant comparison tests.

The product improvement of the A6 was launched in September 2008. Also the winner of the fleet award in its class, today the A6 is Germany’s most successful business sedan.

With the Audi TTS, the top version of the TT line, Audi introduced the first S model in this class. The Audi TT TDI debuted as the first production sports car powered by a diesel engine.

AUDI AG sold a total of 1,003,000 cars in 2008 and thus achieved its thirteenth consecutive record year. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of local production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007 and of the Audi A4 in early October 2008. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 57,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than €2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 40. The Audi brand celebrates its 100th birthday in 2009. The company was founded by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909; he named it Audi after the Latin translation of his surname (“hark!”).

AUDI AG will present the complete results for the 2008 business year at its Annual Press Conference on March 10, 2009 in Ingolstadt.

Great work. Congrats.

15 minutes of fame finally here for Audi.

They worked hard, so they deserve it.

Let me get the ball rolling on this one.

Audi sucks...bla...bla...bla...

Ok now in all seriousness, kudos to Audi.

EnI said:

Great work. Congrats.

15 minutes of fame finally here for Audi.

They worked hard, so they deserve it.

Click to expand...

Hasn't anyone got tired of these sarcastic and fanatical remarks from this BMW marketer on each and every thread about audi ?

What's wrong, can not take it like a man that audi is on the rise?

audi as a brand is now much more desirable than BMW. People lust for the TT-S and the R8, they do NOT lust for MPV badged as p.a.s.

Get over it.

conan_55 said:

Hasn't anyone got tired of these sarcastic and fanatical remarks from this BMW marketer on each and every thread about audi ?

What's wrong, can not take it like a man that audi is on the rise?

audi as a brand is now much more desirable than BMW. People lust for the TT-S and the R8, they do NOT lust for MPV badged as p.a.s.

Get over it.

Click to expand...

We've also gotten tired of everyone attacking one another over their own opinions. You are only adding to the problem by attacking him instead of replying to the actual content of the thread.

Come on guys, Lets be as Unbiased as possible, This is A German Car Forum, Not just a BMW , Merc or Audi Forum..

BTW: Awesome stuff from Audi, There management looks 2 be on top of the Global Crisis, looks like merc and Bmw can take a leaflet from Audi.....

Audi is on a roll and its all product-driven, not just marketing-driven. They have been since the A4 of 2 generation ago.

M

Mr. Mercedes said:

Let me get the ball rolling on this one.

Audi sucks...bla...bla...bla...

Ok now in all seriousness, kudos to Audi.

Click to expand...

Hey, don't steal my lines

Audi are really on the high! The hardest challenge is to keep that up

As for Audi bashing, it really needs to stop! Audi is a German car brand and this is a German Car Forum. Leta think of it this way...Mercedes, BMW and Audi work as a team to destroy LEXUS

Audi really deserves this!! Congratulations!! How long did Audi stay in the shadows of BMW and Mercedes!?! Just in the last 5 years, it become more and more famous, got a new image etc…!! Great to see, that it happens now: Audi become a real competitor again!

klier said:

Hey, don't steal my lines

Click to expand...

Lol , it made me laugh a lot. Good one...

conan_55 said:

Hasn't anyone got tired of these sarcastic and fanatical remarks from this BMW marketer on each and every thread about audi ?

What's wrong, can not take it like a man that audi is on the rise?

audi as a brand is now much more desirable than BMW. People lust for the TT-S and the R8, they do NOT lust for MPV badged as p.a.s.

Get over it.

Click to expand...

Good words mate. It's just that as I said millions times before. The BMW's fanatics worst quality is to admit defeat and the cockyness. That's pretty much why I lost my passion for BMW that I had in the 90's and went over to Audi. Well, anyway, congrats for the four rings!

ree said:

Audi really deserves this!! Congratulations!! How long did Audi stay in the shadows of BMW and Mercedes!?! Just in the last 5 years, it become more and more famous, got a new image etc…!! Great to see, that it happens now: Audi become a real competitor again!

Click to expand...

That's a great thing, since competition is responsible for what our beloved brands are today!

Kudos to Audi!

Kudos to Audi. I am seeing more A4 around these days here in Miami. I must say though, that the rear of the car is just not very attractive and actually looks quite dated. I think it needs to be reworked quite soon.

That is good news. the A4 is a very well designed car in my opinion. The proportions in particular are 100% spot on.

I think the thing that does it for me is the big grilles in the front. When Audi first debuted the A6 in 2003/04 or whenever it was, I thought the grille was over the top and ugly. With time, it has become a proper Audi symbol, and makes a very mean looking face indeed .

PHYBENZ said:

Kudos to Audi. I am seeing more A4 around these days here in Miami. I must say though, that the rear of the car is just not very attractive and actually looks quite dated. I think it needs to be reworked quite soon.

Click to expand...

I agree, we've got spans of the new A4 on the road down here and it just doesn't look special enough. It's got repmobile written all over it in sedan form with its elongated, unsporty looks. A great car however and destined to be a success; the Avant is much better looking in my opinion.

It's interesting how the new A4 looks good in photographs but underwhelming in real life. Am I the only one with this impression?

I'd still own an S4 if forced to though...

martinbo said:

I agree, we've got spans of the new A4 on the road down here and it just doesn't look special enough. It's got repmobile written all over it in sedan form with its elongated, unsporty looks. A great car however and destined to be a success; the Avant is much better looking in my opinion.

It's interesting how the new A4 looks good in photographs but underwhelming in real life. Am I the only one with this impression?

I'd still own an S4 if forced to though...

Click to expand...

I agree with your sentiments completely. It can be rather underwhelming in person and the rear will look dated quickly.

The bling provided by the LED's are about the only thing that grabs your attention. But that could be be good or bad depending on how you see it.

Now, when you see the A5 barreling down the road...that is a gorgeous car.

martinbo said:

It's interesting how the new A4 looks good in photographs but underwhelming in real life. Am I the only one with this impression?

Click to expand...

Well imo it doens't look any more underwhealming than 3 series or C class.

None of this cars was made to have the "X factor".

Also the extra lenght makes possible for the rear seat to be not as claustophobic as in the competitors.

martinbo said:

It's interesting how the new A4 looks good in photographs but underwhelming in real life. Am I the only one with this impression?

Click to expand...

I duno, I seem to have the opposite impression. This picture for example:



It doesn't look very impressive to me, rather plain and boring. But I walk past one every day exactly like it, and it looks stunning to me. I know I keep banging on about proportions, but it just looks so right!