Even though diesel issues put a cloud over the corporate Volkswagen brand, strong demand for CUVs and the A4 sedan enabled Audi to increase sales 4% for the year and grow market share from 1.3% to 1.4% according to WardsAuto data.
Sales for the year outpaced the premium market overall, with market share growth especially strong in the South and Western U.S., with the Los Angeles market turning in particularly good gains, says Scott Keogh, president-Audi of America.
Like most other automakers, CUVs are a crucial part of the mix, with sales of the big Q7 soaring 186% in December based on the daily selling rate. There were 27 selling days in December 2016 and 28 in 2015.
The aging Q5 also posted a 9.5% gain in December, even though it is due to be replaced shortly. CUV sales for the brand increased 38.6% compared with last December and 18% for the year according to WardsAuto data.
And even though consumer interest generally is shifting away from traditional sedans to CUVs, Audi’s bread-and-butter A4 bucked the trend, says Keogh. Sales were up 31% in December based on the daily selling rate and well into double digits for the year.
Citing market share gains from competitors such as BMW, and a flurry of new products, Keogh expects growth to continue this year.
“We are confident that 2017 will see further growth for the brand with the launch of our largest product offensive in history, starting with the new Q5,” he says.
