Almost every car maker has seen sales fall significantly this year and apart from the obvious strugglers like Chrysler – 36%, Jeep -35%, Lexus – 32% even traditionally strong selling brands like Citroën – 17%, Peugeot – 19% and Renault – 29% (notice they are all French!) have lost significant market share, and to be fair in a recession you would expect little else.
There has however been some winners notably Audi who have not only achieved sustained growth but year on year figures are expected to exceed the 100,000 units achieved in 2007. The brand has been achieving steady growth for 17 years and can honestly now consider themselves genuine players in the prestige market, whilst also appealing to the volume market.
The cars they produce are not only aesthetically pleasing but also fantastically put together and owning one has become quite a status symbol. Some Audi dealers that we have spoken to have noticed that enquiries and footfall are lively and some customers are certainly taking advantage of the reduced prices in the range. Buyers who may traditionally opt for the little brother brand of VW or even Toyota, Honda or Ford for example are exploring the option of owning an Audi which they may not necessarily, for budget reasons, have considered before. It is certainly a pleasant change to comment on some good news and the success of the brand should not be underestimated in the current market.
Audi should be congratulated for this achievement.
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