Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 178

175
Management Report
132 Audi Group
140 Business and
underlying situation
153 Financial performance
indicators
157 Social and ecological aspects
168 Risks, opportunities
and outlook
168 Risk report
174 Report on post-balance sheet
date events
174 Report on expected
developments
177 Disclaimer
The Asia-Pacific region will again be a pillar of the worldwide car market in 2010, with strong
market growth. The Audi Group expects the Chinese and Indian car markets in particular to post
double-digit growth rates, even if China is unlikely to emulate the high sales growth of the pre-
vious year. On the other hand the Company expects new car registrations in Japan to continue to
fall.
Anticipated development of the Audi Group
The continuing difficult and unpredictable economic environment, the expectation of more in-
tense competition and the process of shaping future mobility will present the Audi Group with
major challenges in the years ahead. The Board of Management nevertheless regards the Com-
pany as well equipped to restore the pattern of growth of recent years as soon as 2010 and thus
recover promptly from the hiatus induced by the global economic crisis.
Anticipated development of deliveries
With a slight recovery in global demand for premium vehicles expected, the Audi Group has set
itself the goal for 2010 of exceeding the delivery total of the previous year. The Company is
planning to deliver over one million vehicles of the core brand Audi, and thus to increase its
market share in a large number of key sales markets and build on its strong market position in
the premium segment worldwide. In an ever more competitive environment, a large number of
additional models and derivatives alongside the new vehicles already successfully launched last
year should help to access new customer segments and give the Audi brand’s appeal a lasting
boost in 2010. At the same time, steady efficiency improvements across the entire model and
engine range mean the brand with the four rings will very successfully continue to fulfill its
customers’ expectations of sporty yet economical mobility concepts.
The Company aims to consolidate its strong competitive position in its home market Germany,
the largest-volume sales market for Audi vehicles. In addition to the models already successfully
on sale there, in particular the new Audi A8 and the addition of the Audi A1 and Audi A7 to the
product range will provide further positive stimuli.
The Audi brand is planning to exceed the delivery volume of the previous year in Western Euro-
pean markets, despite the fact that market conditions are expected to be difficult.
In the Central and Eastern European region, most notably in Russia, the brand with the four
rings also has plans to deliver more vehicles to customers than in the past fiscal year. Its atten-
tion centers on further strengthening the competitive position of the Audi brand.
Audi aims to cement its leading position in the Chinese premium market in 2010. Following on
from the expansion of local manufacturing capacity in the past fiscal year, all activities in Audi’s
most important foreign market will be even more closely coordinated by a fully owned subsidi-
ary established for that specific purpose.
The Audi brand is planning to intensify its activities in the important growth market India, too.
The sales and dealer network will be further expanded in 2010.
The active marketing of efficient engine technologies in particular will help the Audi brand to
boost its U.S. market share further. Models such as the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI clean diesel launched
last year will be promoted to convince American consumers of how powerful and economical the
Company’s modern diesel drive technology is.
The Audi Group expects a further recovery in worldwide demand for premium vehicles in 2011.
This development is likely to lead to a renewed rise in deliveries of Audi Group cars.