HispanicBusiness

HERNDON, VA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/03/13 -- Audi today announced that 2012 was the best year, and that December 2012 was the best month, in its history of selling new vehicles in the U.S. market.

For the full year, Audi sold 139,310 new cars and SUVs to eclipse the previous sales record set a year earlier by 18.5%. Audi sales in the U.S. have increased 68.4% just since 2009.

December 2012 marked the first time Audi monthly sales have topped 13,000 units, with strong demand throughout the month pushing deliveries to 14,841 vehicles. That's a 17.3% increase over the previous December sales record of 12,655 units in 2011. The most recent December also stands as the 24th consecutive month of record sales for Audi in the U.S. Audi began recording U.S. sales in February 1970.

"Audi is a brand with clear momentum across our model lineup and across all sectors of our operations in the U.S. market," said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America. "This is the result of a business model based on steady and sustainable growth plans set in motion on top of an unswerving commitment by Audi leadership to invest in new vehicles and new technologies year after year. We expect the Audi brand to continue its strong upward trajectory in the U.S. market this year."

Last month, AUDI AG announced that despite global economic uncertainties it will invest $17 billion (13 billion euros) to develop new models, new technologies and to expand its global production capabilities through 2016.

The American market will remain a key engine of growth for Audi globally, and the strength of the brand in the U.S. was demonstrated in a wide array of measures in 2012:

•For December 2012, The Audi A8 and Audi A7 generated the best U.S. sales since the new-generation models arrived in the market. With strong demand for the Audi A6 and Audi Q7 full-sized SUV added in, Audi saw sales of its most premium models equal 32% of all Audi sales in 2012, up from 19% in 2009.

•The popular Audi Q5 crossover, the second-best seller for the brand in 2012, produced the best monthly sales since the model's introduction.

•Sales of Audi clean diesel A3 TDI and Q7 TDI models set a new record for the year. Audi announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November that it will add A8 TDI, A7 TDI, A6 TDI and Q5 TDI models in 2013.

•The U.S. finished as one of the strongest global markets for performance oriented S-models. The Audi S8, S7 and S6 models introduced last fall finished 2012 as some of the fastest selling vehicles available to American car buyers.

•Each of the three Audi U.S. regions -- Eastern, Southern and Western -- turned in record sales for the full year. For 2013, Audi is adding a Central region to maintain a steady level of service to customers and dealers as the brand grows.

•Sales in the biggest metropolitan markets -- New York, Los Angeles, South Florida -- achieved record levels in 2012.

•Last year was the second-best year ever for Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle sales, overcoming limited supplies of available pre-owned vehicles. For the full year, 36,469 Audi CPO models were delivered to customers, down 2.1% from the record levels seen in 2011. December 2012 ranks as the second-best December after December 2011.