Volkswagen AGs Audi is the second largest luxury automaker in the world behind BMW, and ahead of Mercedes. One of the main reasons why Audi is well positioned in terms of global volumes is because of its lead in China, the second largest and fastest growing premium automotive market presently. Volumes in the country for Audi grew by 17.8% in the first half of the year, constituting 30% of the net volumes for the brand. However, despite posting strong growth in the U.S., Audi volumes lagged those of BMW and Mercedes by over 44% in the country through June.
Audi hasn’t been able to catch its compatriots in the U.S. mainly due to the absence of local assembly plants, making vehicles more expensive as they are imported. In addition to the German rivals, Audi also trails Lexus, the luxury vehicle division owned by Toyota Motor Corp, in the U.S. As Volkswagen looks to overtake Toyota for the global vehicle sales crown, Audi also aims to close-in on Lexus in the U.S.
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