(May 8, 2013) Audi has started the second quarter of a highly successful year with further sales growth. Audi reports that In April, it sold 133,500 cars, representing an increase of 6.6 percent compared with the prior-year month. In particular, demand for the new A3 family and the Q3, Q5 and Q7 SUV models strengthened business.

Since the beginning of this year, Audi has sold more than 503,000 vehicles, a growth of 6.7 percent, and the first time that Audi exceeded the threshold of half a million deliveries after just four months.

“Given the extremely difficult market situation in Europe, we see our global sales result of April as positive. Especially the USA and China are currently setting the pace for Audi,” said Luca de Meo, member of the Board of Management for sales and marketing.

“We are further strengthening our position in China with the launch of the locally produced Audi Q3, in a very dynamic segment. Already today, more than every third customer in the Chinese premium market decides in favor of an SUV.”

The Q3 went into local production a few weeks ago at the Changchun site as Audi’s fourth locally produced model alongside the A6 L, A4 L and Q5. The first units of the compact SUV became available in Chinese dealerships in April. Also the new generation of the Q5, a model extremely popular in China, went into the showrooms last month.

Together with the Q7, Audi’s SUV sales in China increased by 31.3 percent to 11,784 units already in April.

In the U.S., Audi of America continued its strong performance of the previous months with substantial growth of 14.2 percent to 13,157 deliveries in April. The brand was again particularly successful with its full-size models: 467 customers took delivery of a new Audi A8, 30.4 percent more than in April 2012.

This month, the diesel powered version of the brand’s flagship became available at U.S. dealers for the first time. As the year progresses, Audi will expand its TDI offensive in the U.S. with the A6, the A7 and the Q5. Audi’s second full-size sedan, the A6, also made good headway in the U.S. last month, with growth of 21.7 percent to 1,905 units sold. Also the brand’s SUVs continue to be extremely popular with U.S. customers: Audi of America recorded 1,183 deliveries of the Q7 in April (plus 33.4 percent), and 3,241 of the Q5 (plus 31.6 percent).

In Europe, however, Audi was also not able to escape the general economic development: In April, sales in this region decreased by 1.9 percent to around 65,500 premium automobiles. In France, where Audi had achieved sales growth of 13.7 percent in the prior-year month, deliveries this April decreased by a similar percentage (-10.2 percent to 5,648 cars).

In Italy, the dip for Audi accounted for 19.4 percent last month, corresponding to 3,920 units sold. In comparison to the prior-year month, this result reflects the negative overall market condition as well as the fact that in April 2012, two new models in the Audi portfolio, the A1 Sportback and the Q3, had just become fully available in this market.

In Germany sales fell by 3.7 percent to 23,411 cars.