Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz's China Sales Soar in September - Audi Remains Market Leader

FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Audi AG (NSU.XE) said Tuesday that sales in China rose 37% on the year in September to more than 15,000 cars, marking a new record level in terms of monthly vehicle sales.

MAIN FACTS:

- 108,859 vehicles sold in the first nine months of the year, up 20% compared with the same period last year.

- Sales board member Peter Schwarzenbauer: 2009 will be a record year for Audi in China.

- Deliveries of the Audi A4L were up 53% in the first nine months: Audi has already handed over 24,763 units of its long-wheelbase midsize sedan to customers this year.

- Audi will expand its network of dealerships and service facilities in China to more than 200 locations by 2015. China currently has 139 Audi dealerships.

-Frankfurt Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 49-69-29725-500
FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--German automaker BMW AG (BMW.XE) said Tuesday that sales in China were up 35% on the year at 8,131 cars in September, up 35% compared with the same month 2008.

MAIN FACTS:

- BMW Group September China sales up 35% on the year at 8,131 cars.

- BMW brand September China sales at 7,628 cars, up 35%.

- BMW Mini brand September China sales at 503 cars, up 37%.

- BMW Group January-to-September China sales at 62,394 cars, up 32% on the year.

- BMW brand January-to-September China sales at 59,460, up 32%.

- BMW Mini January-to-September China sales at 2,934 cars, up 24% on year.

-Frankfurt Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 49-69-29725-500
FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Daimler AG (DAI) said Tuesday that car sales at its core Mercedes-Benz Cars division in China came in at around 7,000 cars last month, up 59% compared with the same month 2008, driven by the revamped S-Class and E-Class models.

MAIN FACTS:

- Mercedes-Benz Group Sept. China sales at around 7,000 cars, up 59% on the year. - Mercedes-Benz Group January-to-September China sales at 46,600 cars, up 44%.

- Mercedes-Benz brand Sept. China sales at 6,800 cars, up 56% on year.

- Mercedes-Benz brand January-to-September China sales at 45,400, up 41%.

- S-Class sales rose 12% in September to 1,600 cars.

- E-Class sales soared 89% on the year last month to S-1,700 in China.

-Frankfurt Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 49-69-29725-500

Read Article

GermanNut - 10/6/2009 3:51:13 PM

+2 Boost

I know, of course the title makes sense. I WROTE IT!

Better yet, StarSearch, read my other article about whether or not China is the key to the future.

You will read that, "BMW AG, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand and Volkswagen AG's Audi nameplate are racing to increase their footprints in China in order to benefit from the market's growth potential and reduce their reliance on sales in Western Europe and the U.S."

You will also read, "Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told reporters last month at the Frankfurt auto show that the global premium market might reach the level of 2008 again in 2011 after the steep downturn, with China playing a crucial role as part of a broader geographical shift toward growth markets in Asia.

Mr. Zetsche said in an interview last week that Mercedes-Benz could ramp up production in China by accessing the entire capacity of its former alliance partner Chrysler Group LLC, following the end of the joint operations with its former U.S. unit. The Chinese joint venture had annual production capacity of 25,000 Mercedes-Benz cars and around 75,000 Chryslers."

It is clear that Audi chose the right geographic focus when looking at the industry's geographical shift over the next 5-10 years and its competitors far worse sales figures.

david999 - 10/6/2009 5:07:04 PM

+3 Boost

Good for Audi.