8th January, 2009

• Audi Australia Pty Ltd ends 2008 with sales increase of 30%
• Audi is fastest growing premium brand in Australia
• Australia leads the world with strongest growth for Audi

German luxury car maker, Audi, has closed 2008 with a massive sales increase of 30.2 percent in Australia.

To close a tough 2008, Audi Australia sold 598 cars in December, bringing the full year cumulative result to 9,410 units, compared with 7,225 for the previous year (2007).

The result represents the fourth consecutive year of record growth, and a doubling of market share down under since 2004.

In the same four year period sales volume has increased by 154 percent, from 3,700 units to close on 9,500 units in 2008.

Managing director, Joerg Hofmann, said the company’s final result was exceptional in a year of great upheaval for car sales – not only in Australia, but also due to a difficult global economic situation in recent months.

“On top of the past several months of worldwide economic gloom, the year was also marked with significant change in Australia, following the increase of the Luxury Car Tax LCT from 25 to 33 per cent on 1st July. Luxury car makers mounted a strong argument against the Government’s budget announcement, and in spite of the tax increase being voted down in the senate in early September, it nonetheless passed later in the month, significantly affecting premium vehicle sales,” Mr Hofmann said.

“Audi escaped the full impact of this decision by covering the tax increase on behalf of its customers from 1st July until the start of September, however many other car makers were seriously affected.”

Audi’s 30.2 percent growth is particularly significant compared with the full Australian market result which went backwards by just a small amount, spefically 3.6 per cent (2008: 1,012,164 cars).

Audi is now the fastest-growing premium brand in Australia, and Australia remains at the top of parent company, AUDI AG’s list of growth markets with this result.

Hofmann says that 2009 will be an interesting year for Australian car sales, however cites Audi’s exceptional product, both in the market now and new, highly efficient models on their way, and strong focus on investing for success as key drivers for the year.

“It is difficult to predict numbers for the new year due to the unstable economic environment, but I am convinced we are in the best position to successfully steer through these days of economic uncertainly based on our product, our dealer infrastructure and our people,” Mr Hofmann said.

The Audi Q5, pictured above, is a new model due in the second quarter of 2009.