Western Europe's most popular brand since 1st Jan 2009

Based on the number of new cars registered in January 2009, Audi has sold 45,124 new vehicles in Western Europe - more than its key competitors. Interestingly, while the market is hardly in a good shape, the Ingolstadt-based auto manufacturer has increased its market shares from 3.9 percent the same month last year to 5.1 percent this year.

For Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG, this triumph is explained primarily by the brand's young product range. In 2008 alone, the Ingolstadt-based company launched twelve new models. "We have moved our product offensive into the passing lane," says Schwarzenbauer. "Particularly in economically strained times, it is crucial that we at Audi offer our customers precisely what they want. We must offer appealing and sporty models which stir enthusiasm among Audi fans - vehicles that are also highly energy-efficient and low on consumption. In 2009, we will remain on the offensive."

During the first half of 2009 alone, six new Audi models are scheduled to hit the market. Schwarzenbauer adds: "By 2015, we expect to offer Audi customers 40 different models, all loaded with forward-thinking technologies. To this end, we invest some two billion Euros annually in product development."

Recent research corroborates just how fruitful Audi's brand strategy and its model range already are. The market research institute Simpson Carpenter conducted a representative survey to determine which vehicles constitute Germans' dream cars. As it turns out, Audi has become Germany's most beloved automotive brand. The German trade journal auto motor und sport published similarly positive opinions about the brand with the four rings. Indeed, 100,000 of its readers selected the Audi A4, Audi A6, and the new Audi Q5 as the best vehicles of 2009.