Audi Middle East sales grow 23.8% in Q1

Audi momentum continues in the Middle East with a 23.8 percent sales increase in the first quarter (Q1) of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. A total of 2,615 Audi vehicles were delivered to customers in the first three months of 2013 (2012: 2,112).
With 55 percent of total sales, the UAE is the largest market for Audi in the Middle East in terms of volume. Sales in the Emirates grew by 37.6 percent to 1,159 vehicles sold in Q1. Audi’s local partners in the UAE, Al Nabooda Automobiles and Ali & Sons, are investing heavily in sales and after-sales infrastructure in order to accommodate the growing demand.
Sales remained stable in Saudi Arabia, Audi’s second biggest market in the region, with 467 vehicles sold in the first three months of 2013 (2012: 482). Kuwait ranked third with sales of 319 vehicles and an increase of 12.9 percent. Double digit growth was registered also in Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq.
“Our sales results are the bottom line of products we deliver and the service we provide,” said Trevor Hill, MD, Audi Middle East. “By focusing on capacity and quality across the region, we are strengthening the backbone for this growth and the future success of Audi in the region: satisfied customers.”
The Audi Q7 SUV remains Audi’s top selling model with 572 vehicles sold in Q1 and an increase of 72.3 percent, showing the enormous popularity of the Q7 even in its seventh model year. The new Audi Q7 is expected to arrive in the Middle East in mid-2015. The Q7 is followed closely by Audi’s flagship, the A8 L, with 448 units delivered (2012: 467), the Q5 SUV with 414 units and a growth of 39.4 percent (2012: 297) and ranking fourth, the Audi A6 with 389 units (2012: 480).
Audi is projecting continued positive development in the region for 2013 and aims for double digit growth, fuelled by the launches of several Audi lighthouse products, including the Audi RS 4 Avant and the Audi R8 Product Improvement.