Yannis

Audi sees 2015 sales of over 1.4 million units, report says

FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen's premium brand Audi aims to nearly double annual vehicle sales to more than 1.4 million units by 2015 by expanding its product range to around 40 models, German business magazine Capital reported.

This will be complemented by plans to improve productivity by 10 percent per year, Audi CEO Martin Winterkorn said in an interview released before publication on Thursday.

"Including the high-performance S and RS lines, Audi offers a total of 22 models. We're planning roughly 40 models for 2015," he told the magazine.

"Sales will then be almost twice as much as now with more than 1.4 million vehicles," Winterkorn continued, citing a focus on the U.S., Chinese, Russian, Japanese, South Korean, Middle East and Australian markets.

Only by rolling out these additional models will Audi be able to maintain current workforce levels in its plants at Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt in Germany as well as Gyor in Hungary, due to the planned 10 percent improvement in productivity.

"To be clear that means our plants must produce the same amount of autos per year with 10 percent fewer staff or 10 percent more autos with the same amount of staff," he said.

By 2008, Audi plans to roll out an A3 Cabriolet, a smaller Q5 SUV, a new A5 model line with two different derivatives -- a coupe and a roomier version -- as well as the A7 with a coupe-like shape and the R8 super sports car.

Winterkorn reversed an earlier statement that the brand would not develop a successor for the A2 compact.

"The wish of Audi customers for a product below the A3 for their wives or children is simply too great," he said.

But he added that the new model would not be similar to its predecessor, whose innovative aluminum-based frame was deemed by analysts as too expensive to ensure success in the segment.

"We're thinking about an extremely sporty small car including all-wheel drive, an absolute beauty," Winterkorn said.

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Curb Zone

 

BMW_Dude

They're asking a lot there, double your volume in 9 years!

Good luck to them!

The Emperor

Easily possible taking in consideration how fast they're improving and how fast the Audi's brand/image/reputation grows...

But 2015 is far, a lot can happen...

Yannis

I bet BMW will sell more than 1.8 mln by 2015 so Audi will still be behind BMW in sale numbers. As for Mercedes i don't know. With the current situation it looks like they will fall behind Audi in the next few years.

BMW_Dude

We'll see....

The Artist

wow so audi is gonna offer 40modells.. thats like what MB offers today..
BMW offers alot less.. and still sell more.. so the question is.. is the way to sucess concentrating on your core modells or just expanding your line up?

Curb Zone