Audi beats Mercedes' global sales figures for the first time in 2010's first three months

Audi recorded its best-ever global sales in 2010’s first quarter, surpassing Mercedes for the first time in the process.

The German firm sold 264,100 units worldwide between January and March; Mercedes sold 248,500 units.

Audi’s sales success is largely being put down to its performance in China, a market that accounted for almost one if five of all its cars sold globally. In China, Audi outsells Mercedes two to one.

Audi wants to surpass both BMW and Mercedes by 2015 and become the world’s leading luxury carmaker with annual sales of 1.5 million units. Its sales will be given a further boost later this year with the launch of the A1 supermini.

BMW is expected to post its results for the first quarter later this month.

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CambsBill 28 April 2010

Re: Audi outsells Mercedes

marj wrote:
The current car - C-Class, is, in my opinion, much better than the 'pimped' up A4 Sport. At least it has a comfortable ride, good handling, exemplary build quality and reliability and actually cost LESS than the comparable A4. The dealership experience is much nicer too

Really, tell that to this lot http://www.carsuk.net/mercedes-blueefficiency-om651-injector-problems/#comment-5705

I continue to be amazed that this story isn't being reported in the mainstream motoring press. At least the Sunday Times published a letter on the subject last week.

marj 28 April 2010

Re: Audi outsells Mercedes

andrepaul999 wrote:

J400uk wrote:
This is hardly surprising, and IMO a good thing as I'd hate it if Mercedes became common like Audi are these days.

So what? if Audis are popular then thats because in the eyes of the public they must be good cars?

Audi are simply making cars that people want to buy? So they have got it right, wheras Merc have abviously missed a trick

No, the snobbish UK buying public have been brainwashed into thinking a Golf with a ridiculous grille and some nice plastics inside makes a premium product. How they manage to overlook the impossibly harsh ride, poor handling, terrible (for the price) construction quality and constant unreliability is beyond me. Rob 7 was spot on, and like him, 35 months with my last A4 made me buy a 159 too which also proved 100 times more reliable than the A4 ever was.The current car - C-Class, is, in my opinion, much better than the 'pimped' up A4 Sport. At least it has a comfortable ride, good handling, exemplary build quality and reliability and actually cost LESS than the comparable A4. The dealership experience is much nicer too, last service they actually collected and returned the car for free. Something that Audi would never commit to.

Thanks to whoever posted the picture of the Deutsche Kinder Wagen, it's good to see Audi's heritage come to life.

andrepaul999 22 April 2010

Re: Audi outsells Mercedes

J400uk wrote:
This is hardly surprising, and IMO a good thing as I'd hate it if Mercedes became common like Audi are these days.

So what? if Audis are popular then thats because in the eyes of the public they must be good cars?

Audi are simply making cars that people want to buy? So they have got it right, wheras Merc have abviously missed a trick