Audi China Jan-Feb sales up 86% to 31,906 cars

Shanghai, March 9 (Gasgoo.com) In the first two months of the year, German luxury car maker Audi sold 31,906 cars in China, up 86% year-on-year, Dow Jones reported today. January sales grew faster than February as car sales were weak during the Lunar New Year holiday (on Feb 13-19).

Audi AG's sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer said yesterday that China might overtake Germany as the luxury car maker's largest single market this year. Audi previously expected China to become its largest sales region in 2012 at the earliest. Audi sales in Germany rose only 1.7% to 27,304 cars last month.

Germany and China might account for roughly similar sales volumes in coming years depending on the respective launch of new models in the two counties. But in the long term, China will emerge as the biggest sales region due to its large growth potential, he said.

Audi has reported a 20% global sales rise in February to about 75,900 vehicles as a 62% sales jump (to 15,108 units) in China more than offset a 3.3% decline in its home market in Germany.

In January, Audi AG saw its sales in China more than double to 16,798 cars from 7,816 of a year earlier. It sold around 160,000 cars in China last year, up 33%.

Audi plans to further expand its China production capacity at FAW-Volkswagen venture to meet the target of selling 250,000 cars annually by 2012 or 2013.