Local buyers drive up sales of Audi A6 ( 2003-10-31 09:15) (China Daily)
Sales of Audi's luxury A6 sedans grew by nearly 50 per cent on a yearly basis
during the first three quarters of the year, an FAW VW company executive said
this week.
Audi
A6
FAW VW, a joint venture between China's
First Automotive Works Corp and German company Volkswagen, produces the cars in
China.
Li Wu, FAW VW's deputy-general manager, said the company sold 38,720 A6 cars
during the first nine months. That represented a 46.7 per cent rise over the
same period the previous year.
FAW VW, based in Northeast China's Jilin Province, now produces two models of
Audi cars, the A6 and A4. Sales of the two models totalled 42,000 during the
January-September period, Li said.
"We are very confident that we will meet our goal of selling 50,000 units in
2003," he said. Sales last year stood at 36,000.
Competition in China's luxury car market between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz
is intensifying. BMW is a product of German firm BMW and Mercedes-Benz is
produced by auto giant DaimlerChrysler.
BMW 325i
Mercedes-Benz
BMW unveiled the
325i, its first Chinese-made sedan, earlier this month. FAW VW launched Audi A8
on October 25 and its upgraded A6 three days later.
Li said his company plans to consolidate its position in the Chinese market
by improving its sales and service network.
The company now has 70 service centres across the country and Li said they
will open more.
Company officials also said its Audi car output in China will reach 70,000 to
80,000 units by 2005. BMW says it hopes to sell 100,000 vehicles a year in China
within the next 10 years.
Mercedes-Benz says it will produce 25,000 sedans annually in China by
2012.
