Audi 2012 Annual Report Download - page 142

145
Management Report
140 Audi Group
140 Structure
142 Strategy
148 Shares
149 Disclosures required under
takeover law
150 System of remuneration for
the Supervisory Board and
Board of Management
151 Corporate management
declaration
151 Business and underlying
situation
173 Financial performance
indicators
176 Social and ecological aspects
190 Risks, opportunities
and outlook
201 Disclaimer
The Company intends to increase deliveries of the Audi brand to 2.0 million vehicles by 2020. To
that end, it will maintain its product initiative and further increase its market shares in a large
number of sales markets. The Audi Group is consequently increasing the number of its dealer
and service outlets worldwide. The Audi Group’s worldwide production network is also under-
going steady expansion. A new car production line is currently being built at Győr (Hungary),
where an additional model of the A3 family will go into production from 2013. There are plans
to build 125,000 vehicles per year in Hungary.
In China, the Company is stepping up its presence with the construction of a new plant in Foshan
by the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company, Ltd., Changchun (China).
The other partners in the joint venture alongside AUDI AG are Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, and
FAW Group Corporation, Changchun (China). Production of a model from the A3 car line will
commence at Foshan from the end of 2013.
In addition, the current fiscal year will see work start on the building of a new production location
in San José Chiapa, Central Mexico, where the successor to the current Q5 will be manufactured
from 2016. Mexico is one of the world’s leading car-producing countries and offers the benefits
of automotive manufacturing experience, a good infrastructure and competitive cost structures.
The existing free-trade agreement also provides good access to international markets.
Global image leader
A strong brand and a positive image are key success factors for a premium manufacturer. They
pave the way for lasting corporate success. Our goal is therefore to keep steadily improving both
our image position and our attractive product range, while binding customers emotionally to the
Audi brand.
A large number of national and international awards in the 2012 fiscal year again served to
confirm the positive image and public enthusiasm for the brand with the four rings.
The Audi Q3, which appeared on the market in fall 2011, received rapid acknowledgment in the
shape of the “Yellow Angel” award based on a reader poll in the magazine ADAC Motorwelt (issue
2/2012, p. 26 ff.). The “OFF ROAD Award” in the “Crossover” category (OFF ROAD, issue 4/2012,
p. 34 ff.) demonstrates that customers are also impressed by the premium compact SUV model’s
fascinating performance off the beaten track.
The Audi brand maintained its successful track record in the “Golden Steering Wheel” awards with
the Audi A3 being voted best compact car. This was the 22nd top placing for the brand with the
four rings in the high-profile competition run by BILD am SONNTAG and the European AUTO BILD
Group since the launch of these awards in 1975 (AUTO BILD, issue 46/2012, p. 54 ff.).
The new Audi A3 came away from the 2012 Automotive Brand Contest in Paris with three prizes.
The highest accolade went to this premium compact car for its interior design, which was praised
for its lean architecture, intuitive operation and reduced formal idiom. The A3 also won awards
for “Exterior Design” and in the “Connectivity” category (www.german-design-council.de/
fileadmin/Bilder/Designwettbewerbe/Automotive_Brand_Contest/
ABC_2012_Jury/ABC%202012%20-%20Alle%20Gewinner[1].pdf).
The Audi brand extended the successful run of recent years in the auto motor und sport poll
“Best Cars of 2012.” The brand with the four rings prevailed in both the midsize category with
the A4 and A5 car lines, and in the compact cars category with the Audi A1, completing a triple
win (auto motor und sport, issue 4/2012, p. 128 ff.).
The Audi brand also performed well in the renowned reader poll AUTO BILD Top Brand, capturing
a total of eleven first places in the Design and Quality categories – more than any of its competi-
tors (AUTO BILD, issue 9/2012, p. 60 ff.).
In 2012, AUTO BILD ALLRAD presented its coveted “4WD Car of the Year” award to two models
of the Audi brand. The quattro versions of the A4 and A6 each prevailed in their categories
(AUTO BILD ALLRAD, issue 5/2012, p. 80 ff.).