Audi China Nov sales double to 16,503 cars

Shanghai, December 9 (Gasgoo.com) Audi, a premium brand of the Volkswagen group, said yesterday that its sales in China (including Hong Kong) in November more than doubled to 16,503 cars from 8,173 of a year earlier, media reported.

For the first 11 months of the year, the Audi brand sold 139,872 cars in China, 29% more than in the same period of last year. The luxury brand's 2008 full-year China sales of 119,598 cars were already exceeded by this year's sales in the first ten months.

Audi's global car sales in November increased 8.9% yea on year to 82,750 vehicles, fueled by rising demand for the Q5 SUV and the A5 coupe and strong growth in China, its biggest overseas market. Jan.-Nov. sales dropped 5.4% to 870,600 vehicles.

Audi aims to sell 136,000 cars in China this year. The Audi Q5 has emerged as one of the most successful Audi models. And in particular the A5 and A6 model lines are selling well. The new Audi A1 may be launched in China next year.

Rival luxury car brands also saw sales growth in China last month. Mercedes-Benz tripled its November sales in China to 8,900 cars, and BMW said its China sales were up 40% to 8,470 cars.

Audi targets at annual sales of more than 200,000 cars in China by 2013, and expects China to surpass Germany as its largest market in 2012.