Manufacturer: Audi AG

Total sales: 2014 1,741,100

Headquarters: Chemnitz, Germany

Global market share: 2.4%

Worldwide availability of the A3

Audi AG achieved an 11% sales uplift year‐on‐year to 1,741,100 units in 2014, exceeding the sales target of 1.7m set out by the Audi 2020 growth plan. The brand’s ever‐popular compact SUV Q model range posted sales increases in all markets to represent 507,500 vehicles, and worldwide availability helped to boost sales of the A3 family by 53% over 2013 levels. Launched in August 2014, but not available in many major markets until this year, the A3 Sportback e‐tron plug‐in hybrid is expected to further broaden the A3’s appeal.

Overall, Audi reported new all time sale highs in 50 countries last year, with deliveries increasing by more than 100,000 units for the fifth year in a row. With 19,238 deliveries, December 2014 was the strongest ever month for Audi sales in the USA.

The Q5 SUV played a significant role in this sales uplift, rising to become the best selling Audi model in the market, while the Q7 also made progress in its ninth year on sale, with a sales increase of 16%. In the compact segment, the Q3 extended Audi’s SUV portfolio in the US in the second half of the year.

Canada (+20%) and Mexico (+11%) also contributed to Audi’s successful year in

North America, with both countries posting double digit growth. Sales in South America increased considerably for Audi AG, above all in Brazil (+90% to 12,350 cars) following the opening of a new manufacturing facility.

In Europe, Audi UK in particular recorded a strong boost in sales, reaching the

150,000 mark for the first time with a 12% uplift to 158,829 sales. Audi also saw strong growth in Spain (+9%); the home market of Germany (+2%) and Italy (+4%). In Russia however, due in large part to the challenging economic and political conditions in the market, deliveries were 6% below 2013’s results.

Orders for the Ultra portfolio (which incorporates Audi’s most efficient technologies and engines for improved fuel consumption and lower emissions), on the A3 accounted for nearly 10% of the brand’s sales in Europe last year. For the A6, the share of Ultra models in Europe was around one third.

Among the major Asian markets, South Korea recorded the strongest growth for Audi, up 38% to 27,647 units in 2014. Thanks to strong demand for the compact models in particular, the brand’s sales figures have increased more than four fold in the market over the past five years. Despite slowing overall market growth, Audi reported a positive sales performance both in Japan and India, with both markets up 9%.

Sales increased by 18% to 578,932 units in China, meaning that Audi became the first premium carmaker to sell over half a million units in China within a single year.

Audi manufactures long‐wheelbase versions of the A8 and A6 specifically for the Chinese market, and the mid‐range SUV models perform well. Premium car sales currently account for around 9% of the total sales in China, compared to between 13% and 15% in mature markets, representing a target market for Audi.

Three new SUVs by 2020

Q1

Arriving next year, the Q1 will be underpinned by the same platform used in the A3 and broaden the A1 family to include a crossover version. The 2016 Q1 will sit at the bottom of the SUV line‐up, and is positioned to rival the Nissan Juke.

The Q1 is expected to offer a range of fuel efficient combustion engines; most likely brought forward from the A1, alongside an electric hybrid e‐tron system. The Crosslane Coupe concept shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2012 also hints at the potential for a fullyelectric drivetrain for the Q1.

Q8

The Q8 – which will take on the Mercedes‐Benz GL‐Class (soon to be renamed GLS) will follow in 2019 and is likely to share its platform with the new Q7. The premium Q8 will top Audi’s SUV range, and is described as being on a par with the A8 in terms of performance and technology features.

The Q8 will extend Audi’s reach at the top of its SUV line‐up, and could prove crucial in markets such as China and the Middle East where sales of premium models are particularly strong.

Electric SUV

There are fewer details about the third SUV, likely to be badged Q6, which Audi says will be a sports‐focused model featuring an electric drivetrain, due in 2018. This could denote a fully-el

• ectric system similar to the forthcoming Tesla 

Model X, or possibly a plug‐in hybrid or range‐extender setup – both of which have been displayed in concept cars and production models.

Audi says the newcomers will set out the foundations for ongoing growth.

The carmaker delivered 591,000 cars in the first four months of the year and, with the new Q7 and A4 arriving during 2015, it expects this to be a record year.

New models and technology

Revealed during the carmaker’s 126th Annual General Meeting in May, Audi’s product expansion strategy will see the range swell to 60 variants by 2020 – assisted by an €24bn investment in facilities, the development of new technologies and increased production capacity.

The new Q7 spearheads this ambitious launch schedule. Lighter by up to 325kg and up to 26% more efficient than its predecessor, the new Q7 is the lightest in its class and brings an all‐new chassis. It is also 37mm shorter and 15mm narrower than the outgoing model, but offers markedly more room inside for passengers and luggage thanks to a clever redesign of the interior.

In Europe, the new Q7 launches with two V6 engines: a TDI and a TFSI. Shortly after launch the Audi Q7 e‐tron quattro will be made available, which is the first plug‐in hybrid from Audi with a diesel engine. A full battery charge is sufficient for a distance of 56km, and prices start at €60,900 for the Q7 3.0 TDI (200 kW).

Also due later this year, the new A4 is built on the latest version of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform and despite its larger dimensions; the model’s weight has been reduced significantly – by up to 120kg depending on the engine – thanks to lightweight materials used in its construction.

The new Audi A4 and A4 Avant (due early 2016) will launch with seven engines – three TFSI and four TDI – with fuel economy improved by up to 21% whilst CO2 dips below 100g/km in the 150hp 2.0 TDI ultra sedan and Avant. A g‐tron version that can use natural gas or the sustainably produced Audi e‐gas as fuel will follow later in markets with the appropriate infrastructure. New technologies include Audi’s Virtual Cockpit all‐digital instrument cluster, wireless on‐board charging for mobile phones and a completely new MMI system with smartphone‐like controls.

Further ahead, Audi has hinted at the technology and design due for its future models with the Prologue concept. Shown as a coupe, Avant and crossover, similar to the carmaker’s allroad vehicles, it features a high‐performance plugin hybrid drivetrain and is similar in size to an A8. The 14.1kWh lithium‐ion battery pack in the rear gives the car a range of 54km in pure electric drive mode. With its AWC (Audi wireless charging) technology which Audi is developing for series production, the battery can also be charged inductively.