-- Audi 2010 April sales increased 33% over 2009; only December 2006 provided better monthly results
-- Audi Q5 sales set a single-month record
-- A3 TDI accounts for nearly 60% of line's sales, exceeding expectations
HERNDON, Va., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- After the best first quarter in the brand's history, Audi today maintained its 2010 momentum with record April sales in the U.S. For the month, sales of Audi cars and SUVs increased 32.9% compared to April 2009.
The April 2010 results were buoyed by record monthly sales for the Audi Q5 and the A5 Cabriolet, and they marked the second-best U.S. sales in any month for Audi. In April 2010, Audi sold 9,319 luxury cars and SUVs. This topped the previous record, set in 2007, of 8,106 vehicles sold. The best month for Audi in the U.S. was December 2006 when sales reached 11,897 vehicles.
Audi A3 sales jumped 144% from a year earlier. That gain was largely due to strong consumer demand for the A3 TDI model, which is the reigning 2010 Green Car of the Year. Another positive product story for Audi came from sales of the A6 luxury sedan which increased 105.2% over last April.
"Consumers of luxury goods are clearly buying again," said Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen. "As these buyers return to the car market they are seeking out cars representing substance, leading-edge engineering and sophisticated styling. Those priorities are the fundamental reason Audi has set record sales in three of the past four months."
Audi A5 continues its single-month sales record streak
The Audi A5 Cabriolet's popularity continued to grow, setting a monthly sales record of 797 cars in April (including Audi S5 Cabriolet results). In April, the overall A5 model line (including S5 and A5/S5 Cabriolet sales) posted a year-over-year increase of 171.5%. Without the A5/S5 Cabriolet models (which weren't available in April 2009), sales for the A5/S5 line increased a robust 54.3% from a year earlier.
Audi TDI technology convinces consumers to go "green"
Consumers are continuing to embrace TDI clean diesel technology from Audi in extraordinary ways. The Audi A3 TDI now accounts for 58.7% of the overall A3 model mix. Overall, A3 sales rose 144%, meaning sales of the TDI models are incremental since their introduction to the U.S. market late last year. The Audi Q7 TDI SUV continues to account for 36.2% of the Q7 line, a result that's largely limited by supply of the TDI models.
Audi Q5 also achieves best-ever sales mark
Since its debut in 2009, the Q5 has become the brand's second-best performing model, trailing only the A4 lineup. Sales of the Q5 crossover vehicle reached 1,910 units in April, an increase of 60.2% from last April.
The positive sales results for Audi in the U.S. came as AUDI AG reported its operating profits globally in the first quarter rose 30% to 478 million euros (roughly $632.7 million). Double-digit growth rates in all global regions over the first three months of 2010. In the first quarter, AUDI AG reported operating revenues of 8,260 million euros (roughly $10.9 billion).
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