Audi China sales in October up 51% to 14,510 cars

Shanghai, November 10 (Gasgoo.com) Audi, a premium brand of the Volkswagen group, said yesterday that its sales in China (including Hong Kong) last month surged 50.7% from a year earlier to 14,510 units, media reported.

From January through October, the Audi brand sold 123,369 cars in China, 22.7% more than the same period of last year, exceeding the carmaker's full-year China sales in 2008. Audi sold 119,598 premium cars to customers in China last year.

Audi said its global sales gained 0.4% to 82,750 units in October and forecast overall 2009 sales of 925,000 cars, well above its initial target of 900,000. Audi sold some 787,900 cars worldwide in the first ten months, down 6.7%. The company expects better sales in November and December.

The positive sales trend of Audi cars is fueled by the new Q5 model and soaring demand in China, its biggest overseas market. "The Audi Q5 is emerging as one of our most successful models. And in particular the A5 and A6 model lines are selling well," said Audi sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer.

Audi will exceed its sales target of 130,000 cars in China this year and expects the country to outpace its German home turf as its largest single market in 2013 at the latest. Audi is expanding its Chinese venture's production capacity in northeastern city of Changchun.

Schwarzenbauer reaffirmed he expects to significantly exceed his target to sell 200,000 vehicles in China in 2015, said a Reuters news story on Friday.