Seven-year sales slide and long wait for new models stops now, vows new Audi Australia boss
Narrowing the gap between global and local launches of new models is a cornerstone of Audi Australia’s plan to turn its sales fortunes around.
A period of sustained local growth hit its peak in 2016, when the Volkswagen Group luxury auto brand sold 24,258 vehicles in Australia.
But Audi has been on the slide here almost every year since.
It hit a nadir in 2022 at just 14,732 sales as COVID impacted supply and EV upstart Tesla sold more than 19,000 vehicles, taking chunks out of all other premium brands.
Audi was wounded locally by the absence of the Q4 e-tron electric SUV. It would have nestled competitively into the $80,000 segment against the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Polestar 2, and qualified for the new FBT concession.
But despite being launched in Europe in mid-2021, the MEB-based close relation of the Volkswagen ID.4 is unlikely to make it to Australia until 2024.
The new Audi e-tron GT performance flagship has only just been released, nearly 12 months after its local price was first announced. It was originally due in local showrooms in September 2022.
But new Audi Australia chief Jeff Mannering says the delays won’t be so long for key future models like the A6 and Q6 e-tron electric vehicles, which are expected as soon as 2025.
“We are on that list I promise you,” said Mannering. “It’s actually part of our market strategy to… pull all our production [forward] – doesn’t matter what car.
“Our aim is to be much closer to European launches, not just in electric cars but all our cars.”
Mannering said shortening the launch gap would be possible because of the Albanese government’s positive attitude toward EVs, pointing to both the FBT concessions and forthcoming emissions mandates.
“In two sentences Albanese changed everyone’s perception,” he said.
Mannering also predicted an easing of supply constraints in 2023 as semi-conductor and logistics issues were overcome.
He wouldn’t put a number on the rate or size of Audi’s recovery, but made it clear it would happen.
“Higher than what we finished 2022,” was his sales estimate for 2023. “It’s better than where we finished this year.
“Is it 20,000 or 25,000? I am not sure I could comment on that right now, but it needs to be better than where we are.”
Audi thinks it can sell close to 500 e-tron GTs in Australia in 2023, with more than half of the uptake the more expensive RS flagship.
It is also looking for incremental sales from the new Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid SUV, a boost from the updated Audi Q8 e-tron (formerly just e-tron) that arrives in the second half of this year and better stocks of the volume-selling A3 small car and Q2 small SUV.
An overhaul of the A4 medium sedan is also on the way, along with updates for the Q2 and Q3 compact SUVs. A series of RS special-editions are also being announced during the Bathurst 12-hour this weekend.
“We have the tools to do a much better job,” said Mannering.
“I think we are in the best position we have been in for model offerings for quite some time.”
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Keyword: Audi promises sales turnaround and quicker new model arrivals