Speaking at the 124th Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of the company in Neckarsulm, CEO Rupert Stadler stated: ‘We are now in a crucial phase, because we are positioning Audi for the next surge of growth.’

By 2015, Audi will implement the biggest investment program in the company’s history, with a total volume of approximately €11bn. Nearly half that amount, €5.3bn, will be applied to strengthen and expand the German plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

Audi expects to sell more cars in 2013 than in its record year in 2012, with sales in the first four months of the year up 6.7% to 503,000. Production of the A3 saloon is due to begin in Hungary in June. This will be followed by a new plant at Foshan in China later in 2013, built with joint venture partner FAW. By 2016, the new plant in Mexico is scheduled to be producing the Q5 at San José Chiapa.