Η BMW στην κορυφή των premium αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίων και το 2015

Το 2014 η BMW ήταν η μεγαλύτερη premium αυτοκινητοβιομηχανία, με την Audi να την ακολουθεί στην 2η θέση και την Mercedes-Benz στην τρίτη. Το 2015 όμως, η κατάταξη ήταν διαφορετική.

Στην κορυφή παρέμεινε η BMW, με το BMW Group να πουλά 2.247.485 αυτοκίνητα, αύξηση 6,1% από το 2014. Από αυτά, τα 1.905.234 ήταν αυτοκίνητα της BMW (+5,2%), τα 338.466 αυτοκίνητα της MINI (+12%), ενώ κοντά στα 30.000 ήταν i3 και i8. Στον κλάδο των μοτοσυκλετών, οι πωλήσεις σημείωσαν άνοδο 10,9% με 136.963 πωλήσεις, με την Rolls-Royce να πουλά 3.785 αυτοκίνητα (-6,8%).

Πολλές από τις προκλήσεις του προηγούμενου έτους θα συνεχιστούν και το 2016. Γι’ αυτό είναι σημαντικό να επιδείξουμε ευελιξία ώστε να διατηρήσουμε την κερδοφορία μας,

δήλωσε ο υπεύθυνος πωλήσεων της BMW, Ίαν Ρόμπερτσον.

Στην δεύτερη θέση ανέβηκε η Mercedes-Benz η οποία πούλησε 1.871.511 αυτοκίνητα κατά τη διάρκεια του 2015, παρουσιάζοντας αύξηση 13,4%, με την Smart να πουλά 119.398 αυτοκίνητα (+32,9%). Στην τρίτη θέση βρέθηκε η Audi με 1.803.250 πωλήσεις (+3,6%). Περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες μπορείς να βρεις στα δελτίο τύπου που ακολουθούν.

[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]

BMW Group achieves fifth consecutive record sales year

• Full-year sales up 6.1% to total 2,247,485
• 2015 was BMW and MINI’s most successful year ever
• BMW sales increase 5.2% to total 1,905,234
• MINI sales achieve 12.0% increase to total 338,466
• Around 30,000 BMW i vehicles sold in 2015
• Deliveries increased in all major sales regions
• Almost one million vehicles sold in Europe

Detroit/Munich.2015 was the most successful year ever for the BMW Group with annual sales setting a new record for the fifth year in a row. A total of 2,247,485 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles were delivered to customers around the world last year, an increase of 6.1% on the previous year. December 2015 saw 213,537 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles sold (-0.8%).

“In 2015, we launched a total of 15 new or refreshed models and our results show that these innovative new vehicles are popular with customers,” commented Dr Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for global sales and marketing BMW, speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “Our sales grew consistently throughout the year, despite headwinds in some markets. We expect many of those challenges to continue into 2016, so it’s important we continue to respond flexibly to market conditions in order to maintain our success,” he continued.

BMW also achieved a fifth consecutive annual sales record, with the brand delivering 1,905,234 vehicles to customers in 2015, an increase of 5.2% on the previous year. The brand’s sales for December were close to the outstanding result of the previous year with a total of 176,681 BMW’s delivered to customers (-0.7%).

Products throughout the BMW range achieved significantly higher sales in 2015, compared with the year before. The BMW 2 Series is proving very popular with customers with a total of 157,144 sold in the year. With a total of over 107,000 units sold, the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourer sold extremely well in their first full year, accounting for over two-thirds of those sales. Similarly successful was the BMW 4 Series, where sales increased by 27.4% to total 152,390. Deliveries of the BMW X4 more than doubled to a total of 55,050 (+153.8%). Overall, the BMW X family continues to be a significant growth driver for the brand with sales of the BMW X5 up 14.1% to total 168,143 worldwide and deliveries of the BMW X6 increasing by over 50% to 46,305.

BMW i sales increased by 65.9% in 2015 with a total of 29,513 units delivered to customers. The keys to a total of 24,057 BMW i3s were handed over to customers around the world (+49.9%) while sales of the BMW i8 reached a total of 5,456.

MINI achieved a new all-time annual sales record in 2015 with a total of 338,466 vehicles delivered to customers worldwide, an increase of 12.0% compared with the previous year. A total of 127,194 MINI 3 doors were sold around the world in 2015 (+0.2%) while 94,788 customers took delivery of a MINI 5 door. The new MINI Clubman, which went on sale in October, was delivered to 8,003 customers.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW AG board member responsible for MINI, BMW Motorrad and Rolls-Royce commented: “We are delighted that our fresh new model range has achieved MINI’s best-ever sales result. The MINI 3 door is as popular as ever and the MINI 5 door has attracted many new customers to the brand. I am sure the new MINI Cabrio, due on the market in March, will provide further momentum going forward into 2016. Our success last year shows that the MINI is heading in the right direction.”

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the second highest sales record in the brand’s 112-year history. The Goodwood-based brand delivered 3,785 units (-6.8%) to customers globally during 2015. Strong sales were reported worldwide, with the exception of Mainland China where significant headwinds have impacted on the entire luxury sector. Sales were driven by the success of Wraith and Ghost family motor cars in all regions, whilst Phantom remains the company’s pinnacle product, reaffirming its status as the world’s most desirable super-luxury good. The new Rolls-Royce Dawn drophead was unveiled in September, breaking all previous records for pre-orders. First customer deliveries will take place in Q2 2016.

The BMW Group achieved an increase in deliveries in all major sales regions in 2015, in line with the company’s policy of striving for balanced sales around the world.

Almost one million BMWs and MINIs were sold inEuropein 2015. The region was a significant growth driver with annual sales totalling 999,669 (+9.4%). Many markets in the region achieved double-digit sales growth in 2015 with deliveries in Great Britain, BMW Group’s fourth largest market, up 12.7% (230,652) whilst sales in France increased 15.0% (77,577). Southern European markets also continued recovering well with sales up 19.2% (45,550) in Spain and up 12.3% (71,173) in Italy.

TheAmericasachieved a 2.8% increase in sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in 2015, with a total of 494,629 units delivered to customers in the region. In 2015, a total of 404,537 BMWs and MINIs were sold to customers in the USA (+2.2%) while sales in Canada climbed 10.1% to total 42,052 and Mexico achieved a sales increase of 17.3% (17,475).

InAsia, sales of BMW and MINI increased by 4.2% in 2015, with a total of 684,121 vehicles sold in the region. In 2015, a total of 463,736 BMW and MINIs were sold in Mainland China (+1.7%). In South Korea, 54,575 customers took delivery of a new BMW or MINI, an increase of 17.6%, while sales in Japan rose 8.1% to total 69,199.

Once again,BMW Motorradalso sold considerably more Motorcycles and Maxi-Scooters in 2015 than in the previous year. It was the fifth consecutive year that the BMW Group’s Motorrad segment achieved a new all-time high. With 136,963 (prev. yr. 123,495) vehicles delivered in 2015, BMW Motorrad achieved a growth of 10.9% on the previous year. In December, deliveries also increased to reach a new all-time high of 7,497 units (prev. yr. 7,032) and a growth of 6.6%.

BMW Group sales in/up to December 2015 at a glance

Mercedes-Benz achieves fifth record year in a row

• Mercedes-Benz sold 1,871,511 vehicles worldwide last year – an increase of 13.4%.
• Strongest ever December sales (178,017 units) and best quarter (159 units) for Mercedes-Benz
• Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Last year, we sold more cars than ever before. We were able to increase our unit sales in all three core regions – Europe, NAFTA and Asia-Pacific. And with 373,459 units sold, China developed into our biggest individual market worldwide in 2015. With growth there of 32.6%, Mercedes-Benz grew significantly faster than the overall automobile market.”
• Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales: “We anticipate additional sales impetus in 2016 from the new E-Class, the world’s most intelligent business saloon. And our new dream cars such as the S-Class Cabrio, the C-Class Coupé and the new generations of the SL and SLK will further boost the fascination of the Mercedes-Benz brand.”
• Continuation of C-Class as the brand’s best-selling model
• Growth drivers SUVs and compact cars: more than half a million units sold in each segment for the first time

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz delivered more cars to customers in 2015 than ever before in one year. The Stuttgart-based premium brand with the three-pointed star sold a total of 1,871,511 vehicles (+13.4%), posting its fifth record year in a row. Furthermore, the year 2015 ended for Mercedes-Benz with its strongest-selling December (178,017 units, +9.1%) and best quarter (495.159 units, +8.8%).

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Last year, we sold more cars than ever before. We were able to increase our unit sales in all three core regions – Europe, NAFTA and Asia-Pacific. And with 373,459 units sold, China developed into our biggest individual market worldwide in 2015. With growth there of 32.6%, Mercedes-Benz grew significantly faster than the overall automobile market.”

Growth drivers in 2015 were the SUVs and the compact cars. For the first time, more than half a million units were sold in each segment. “We anticipate additional sales impetus in 2016 from the new E-Class, the world’s most intelligent business saloon. And our new dream cars such as the S-Class Cabrio, the C-Class Coupé and the new generations of the SL and SLK will further boost the fascination of the Mercedes-Benz brand,” stated Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales.

Consequent hybridization

Consequent hybridization is a concrete component of the Mercedes-Benz drivetrain strategy. Last year alone, the brand presented four new Plug-In Hybrid models: the C 350 e as a Saloon and Estate, the GLE 500 e 4MATIC, and the GLC 350 e 4MATIC. Meanwhile, Plug-In Hybrids account for a growing share of the unit sales of Mercedes-Benz. In 2017, a total of ten
Mercedes-Benz Plug-In Hybrid models will be on the market. On average, a new Plug-In Hybrid is launched every four months.

Europe: double-digit growth in nearly all markets

In Europe, Mercedes-Benz sold more cars in 2015 than ever before in one year: A total of 798,852 customers decided in favour of a car with the three-pointed star (+10.5%). In the highly competitive German market,
Mercedes-Benz once again maintained its market leadership amongst the premium manufacturers in 2015. Unit sales in Germany increased by 4.7% in 2015. In Great Britain, the second-largest European market, another sales record was set in 2015 with a total of 144,474 vehicles handed over to customers (+17.0%). The brand achieved double-digit growth in unit sales in nearly all of the region’s markets, with particularly high rates in Italy (+13.8%), Spain (+27.3%), Turkey (+30.9%), Switzerland (+21.6%) and Netherlands (+30.7%). In Portugal, Mercedes-Benz was the premium brand with the most new registrations in 2015.

Strongest growth in the Asia-Pacific region

In the Asia-Pacific region, demand for Mercedes-Benz models has never been as strong as in December and in the full year. Sales there grew last year by a quarter to 615,325 units. The biggest growth market was China, where Mercedes-Benz launched more than 15 new or updated models and expanded the dealer network to approximately 500 dealerships last year. Local production capacities were also expanded. In addition to the C- and
E-Class, the two SUV models GLA and GLC started to be produced in China last year. For the first time, China is the biggest sales market for
Mercedes-Benz. With 373,459 vehicles sold, an increase of 32.6%, unit sales in 2015 were significantly higher than ever before. Growth in the Asia-Pacific region was boosted in 2015 also by sales in South Korea (+26.8%), India (+32.4%) and Malaysia (+56.5%), where new records were set. In Japan, the region’s second-largest market, more cars were sold than ever before (64,989 units, +7.1%). In 2015, Mercedes-Benz was the premium brand with the most new registrations in Japan, Australia and Taiwan.

Sales records in the NAFTA region

In the NAFTA region, new sales records were set in December and in the full year as a result of the best-ever unit sales in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 38,557 cars were handed over to customers in the last month of the year (+2.1%), and sales in the full year increased to 392,843 units (+5.2%). From January to December, sales in the USA grew to 343,088 units (+3.8%). And in Canada, Mercedes-Benz was the market leader amongst the premium manufacturers in 2015.

Ongoing successful path for new compact cars: more than half a million units sold

The compact cars, comprising the A- and B-Class, the CLA, the CLA Shooting Brake and the GLA, achieved new best figures in both December and the full year. A total of 582,531 customers decided in favour of a Mercedes-Benz compact car in 2015, which is 25.8% more than in the previous year. The models are particularly popular in the home market of Mercedes-Benz. Nearly every fifth compact car went to customers in Germany last year.

Continuation of C-Class as the best-selling model

The full availability of the C-Class Saloon and Estate models in all core markets and of further motorizations created additional sales impetus in 2015, so that unit sales surpassed the prior-year number by 40.1% (443,909 units). More C-Class vehicles were delivered to customers than ever before in one year. Growth in the C-Class segment will be further boosted in 2016 by the new C-Class Coupé, which has been on the market since December.

E-Class long-wheelbase version especially popular

A total of 232,453 units of the E-Class Saloon and Estate were sold in 2015. The long-wheelbase version of the E-Class was particularly popular in China, where sales of this model increased to the new record of 58,286 units. The new E-Class will have its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in a few days’ time. With the world’s most intelligent business saloon car, Mercedes-Benz is taking a further important step along the path to accident-free and autonomous driving.

S-Class once again the world’s best-selling luxury saloon

With six versions of the new-generation S-Class now presented,
Mercedes-Benz continued its product offensive in the luxury segment in 2015. Last year, the S-Class was once again the world’s best-selling luxury saloon. About a third of all S-Class vehicles were sold in China in 2015. Approximately 500 units of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which was launched in February, were delivered to customers each month in China alone.

Successful “Year of the SUVs”

In the “Year of the SUVs,” the Mercedes-Benz brand launched four new or updated models, thus renewing nearly its entire range of sport utility vehicles. Unit sales of SUVs in 2015 surpassed the prior-year figure by 26.6% and rose to the record number of 525,866 vehicles. The top sellers were the GLC and the GLA, with unit sales almost doubling. The successor to the GL, the new GLS model, will be at dealerships as of March 2016.

V-Class: double-digit growth in first full year of sales

The V-Class – a car for up to eight people – has redefined the segment of multipurpose vehicles. In its first full year on the market, unit sales increased by 26.2% to 31,499 units. With new equipment possibilities available since last year, Mercedes-Benz is offering its customers even more flexibility for the individual configuration of their V-Class.

Record year for Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG can look back on a record year 2015: With 68,875 units sold (+44.6%), the sports-car and high-performance brand of Mercedes-Benz reached a new peak last year. This means that its unit sales have more than doubled in the past two years. In addition to the new AMG sports models launched in 2015, the growth drivers include the high-performance models of the C-Class and the compact cars. The new and independently developed Mercedes-AMG GT was also very popular with customers. The strongest sales markets for AMG automobiles were the USA, Germany and China.

New smart generation available in all core markets

119,398 smart vehicles were sold in the past twelve months (+32.9%). The fortwo and forfour models were especially popular in smart’s two biggest European markets, Germany and Italy. Furthermore, unit sales doubled in Great Britain, France, Spain and Switzerland. Now that the new generation has been available in the important markets of China and the USA since last summer, the smart brand will launch more models of the small city car than ever before in 2016: Customers can look forward to the new smart fortwo cabrio this spring. In summer, the new sporty BRABUS models of the fortwo and forfour with more powerful engines will be in the showrooms. And they will be followed at the end of the year by fully electric versions of the two-seater and four-seater and of the smart fortwo cabrio.

The compact two-seater has proven its attractiveness also at car2go. With more than 14,000 smart fortwo vehicles, car2go is the world’s biggest
car-sharing-company and the market leader in the segment of
station-independent car sharing. Meanwhile, a car2go rental begins every 1.4 seconds at one of the 31 locations in Europe and North America. The changeover of the car2go fleet to the new smart generation started in the first locations in the fourth quarter of last year.

“Best Customer Experience” – opening of additional Mercedes me Stores and start of “She’s Mercedes”

With its “Best Customer Experience” marketing and sales strategy, Mercedes-Benz has been focusing directly on its customer wishes since 2013, and addresses people in their own life situations with specially tailored offers. In this context, the brand is increasingly applying digitalization in its sales formats. The Mercedes me Stores are a significant component of the strategy. They have an urban format with numerous digital features and a modern catering and event concept that appeals to young and new target groups. In 2015, four more Mercedes me Stores opened in Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Munich.

“Best Customer Experience” is an important element of the “Mercedes-Benz 2020” strategy, which is continually being expanded with new concepts for addressing customers on an individual basis. In 2015, the Stuttgart-based brand with the three-pointed star began an initiative to focus more than previously on women’s needs and wishes. The goal is to establish Mercedes-Benz by 2020 as the most attractive luxury automobile brand also for women, and to significantly increase the proportion of female customers. This initiative includes the new “She’s Mercedes” community and inspiration platform (www.mercedes.me/she), as well as networking events for women, special training for sales employees and more female sales staff. In parallel with “She’s Mercedes,” Mercedes-Benz has developed the completely new lifestyle configurator as a supplement to the existing configurator. This allows customers to specify their individual preferences for furniture, holiday destinations, types of sport etc., and then suggests a car for them on that basis.

Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Forward-looking statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” ”can,” “could,” “plan,” “project,” “should” and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including an adverse development of global economic conditions, in particular a decline of demand in our most important markets; a worsening of the sovereign-debt crisis in the euro zone; an increase in political tension in Eastern Europe; a deterioration of our refinancing possibilities on the credit and financial markets; events of force majeure including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, political unrest, industrial accidents and their effects on our sales, purchasing, production or financial services activities; changes in currency exchange rates; a shift in consumer preferences towards smaller, lower-margin vehicles; a possible lack of acceptance of our products or services which limits our ability to achieve prices and adequately utilize our production capacities; price increases for fuel or raw materials; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes or supplier insolvencies; a decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization measures; the business outlook for companies in which we hold a significant equity interest; the successful implementation of strategic cooperations and joint ventures; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending government investigations and the conclusion of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading “Risk and Opportunity Report” in the current Annual Report. If any of these risks and uncertainties materializes or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, the actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements since they are based solely on the circumstances at the date of publication.

Daimler at a Glance

Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group
is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, financial investments, credit cards, and innovative mobility services.

The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today:
The Group’s focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal and fascinate. Daimler consequently invests in the development of alternative drive trains with the long-term goal of emission-free driving: from hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cell. Furthermore, the company follows a consistent path towards accident-free driving and intelligent connectivity all the way to autonomous driving. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world’s most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses, and Daimler Financial Services’ brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel and car2go. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2014, the Group sold more than 2.5 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 279,972 people; revenue totalled €129.9 billion and EBIT amounted to €10.8 billion.

AUDI AG: new record year with 1.8 million deliveries in 2015

• Audi CEO Rupert Stadler: “We have exceeded our Strategy 2015 target by 300,000 units”
• Sales chief Dietmar Voggenreiter: “Foundations for further growth have been successfully laid”
• U.S. sales doubled in five years

AUDI AG achieved a new sales record in 2015: Compared with 2014, worldwide deliveries increased by 3.6 percent to around 1,803,250 automobiles. This total was achieved despite the fact that the first representatives of the current model initiative – the new A4, the new Q7 and the new R8 – were not yet available in all regions of the world. In Europe and China, Audi confirmed its position as the most successful premium brand; in the United States, the brand with the four rings grew at twice the rate of the market. In December, around 158,450 customers worldwide chose an Audi, an increase of 5.6 percent. This means that the company has increased its sales for the 72nd successive month.

“With sales of 1.8 million, we have surpassed the target set in our Strategy 2015 of 1.5 million cars by 300,000,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “2015 has proved that Audi is solidly on track and that we are able to master a year that presented various challenges very successfully.”

Regarding developments in the sales regions, sales chief Dietmar Voggenreiter explains: “In Asia, we adapted very flexibly to the slower market pace and consistently geared our activities toward healthy and profitable businesses. With strong results in the United States and the successful launch of our model initiative in Europe, foundations for Audi’s further growth have been successfully laid.”

The new generation of key Audi models is well underway: the new generation of Audi’s bestsellingA4model was launched in Europe in November 2015. It will also be appearing in overseas markets this year. Available in Europe since June 2015, the newQ7celebrated its premiere in China at the end of the year, in advance of its arrival in the United States and other major markets in 2016.

Audi’s entireSUV familyonce again grew disproportionately in 2015, gaining 6.0 percent across all Q models to around 537,950 automobiles worldwide. TheA3and its variants contributed to Audi’s growth with an increase in sales of 20.3 percent to around 372,750 units. Furthermore, with deliveries of around 29,950 units (+87.0%), theTTbecame the best-selling compact sports car in the premium market.

InEurope, the full-size class strengthened Audi further. In addition to the Q7 (+103.8% to around 27,050 automobiles), sales of the A6 rose significantly with an increase of 9.9 percent to around 99,800 cars delivered. Across all models, European sales rose by 4.8 percent to the new record of around 799,950 units. In December, the first full month for the new A4, European deliveries climbed by 17.5 percent to around 57,650 units. Over the last five years, Audi has increased its annual sales in Europe by almost one quarter, while the overall market has only recovered to its 2010 level so far. In 2015,Spain(+16.5% to 44,587 cars) andItaly(+10.3% to 54,054 cars) led the positive trend for Audi.Francegained 5.2 percent with sales of 60,216 units. Audi sold more automobiles than ever before inGermany(+5.7% to 270,063 cars) and theUK(+5.0% to 166,817 cars). Conditions remained difficult inRussia: down 24.6 percent to 25,650 Audi customers in 2015.

In theUnited States, the company surpassed the 200,000 mark for the first time in its history: rising 11.1 percent to 202,202 units. Audi has thus doubled its U.S. sales within five years. In December, despite the voluntary temporary halt to sales of diesel models, deliveries increased by 6.0 percent to 20,399 automobiles. With sales rising 22.6 percent to 52,006 SUV models for the full year, the Q5 set a particularly strong pace and led the Q family boom. 32,119 customers made the Audi A3 Sedan (+52.4%) the most popular compact sedan in the U.S. premium market. In addition to the United States, Audi’s strong performance overall in the Americas was supported in particular byCanada(+9.1% to 26,754 cars),Mexico(+9.3% to 14,147 cars) andBrazil, which showed continued strong growth of 38.7 percent to 17,130 units.

In China, Audi once again achieved very high sales levels in 2015, ending the year with 570,889 customers, slightly below the comparative figure for 2014 (-1.4%). 60,197 units in December represent the second-best month in the company’s history in this market, 3.8 percent below the record level set in the same month last year. In late 2014, the launch of the A3 Sedan as another locally produced model had created particularly high customer traffic at dealerships. Over the course of the next months, the company will introduce various new models throughout its Chinese product portfolio: by the summer of 2016, successors will be launched for models that represent around 60 percent of total Audi sales in China.

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