AUDI expects to sell 101,000 cars in 2008, making it a record year for the German maker.
This will break last year’s total of 100,000 models – and be the latest in 17 years of growth for the brand.
It comes despite the credit crunch. Audi is one of the few makers to not suffer sales falls in key months.
Year to date in October, the brand was up 1.3 per cent on 2007 sales.
New product is driving this growth. Audi is adopting a ‘niche’ strategy, diversifying its range with models such as the Q5 compact SUV, expected to sell 6500-7000 units in 2009. Despite this, it still expects 2009 to be a ‘tough’ year.
Nevertheless, MD Jeremy Hicks still expects next year’s 10 new or revised models to make it 18 years of sales growth in a row, with sales ‘marginally above ’08 levels’.
A market recovery, says Hicks, will then follow in the second quarter of 2010.
‘Strong brands do better in a downturn, but we are planning for a difficult year in 2009, said Hicks. ‘We won’t see much growth and need to be fleet of foot, so we can adjust volumes. We have a number of plans in place and we won’t oversupply the market.
‘We’ve fought hard to get to our current position and we won’t lose it.’