Crisis? What crisis: Audi

In the face of continued uncertain financial conditions, but record local sales, Audi Australia has reconfirmed its commitment to plans to boost local sales to 15,000 units per annum by 2015.

The plan, labeled 'Route 15' by the local operation, includes a revamp of Audi dealerships around the country and a substantial increase in the number of models sold Down Under. It parallels Audi HQ's plans to increase global sales to 1.5m by the middle of the decade.

Globally Audi plans to increase its model line-up to over 40 models. Key launches over the next few years include the new MINI-fighting A1 in a number of body configurations, a Q3 compact premium softroader and a wider range of A3 variants when the next generation of the Golf-based premium small car arrives in 2012.

Just around the corner is the next generation of A8, which will be unveiled in the USA later this year, and the first of the larger Sportbacks, the A5 (more here). Other local releases set to take place in the next few months include the A4/S5 Cabriolet, five-cylinder TT-RS and the V10-engined range-topping R8 supercar.

According to Audi Australia marketing boss, Immo Buschmann, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has done little to slow the pace of Audi's new model roll out.

"To my knowledge it's still full steam ahead," Buschmann told the Carsales Network.

"Audi's committed to launching the cars we've mentioned. If you look at the political environment out there we're probably the best situated company to get through this crisis. If you look at the structure of the Volkswagen Group, the structure of Audi AG and look at all of the products we've already confirmed for the next two or three years we're going pretty good," he opined.

Buschmann says the company remains committed to the pace of change and its new model calendar.

"That's the exciting thing about Audi. The pipeline is full. We've got 25-26 [models] now and we're going to go up to 42 [by 2015]."

Buschmann is enthusiastic about the prospects of all the new models: "Every single one -- I kid you not', he says. But tempers expectations with an explanation that perhaps not every newbie will come Down Under.

"We have the right to structure the market according to [local] market model. Instead of 42 we might have 36 or 38 [new models]," he says.

Of key importance will be the new A5 Sportback (pictured), Buschmann opines.

"It will be niche... [But] it will be 'main' niche," he says.

"I'm convinced that the [overall] market will become more niche [focused] in the future. You have customers out there that want to have a newer, fresher concept and that's where the Sportback comes in. I'm pretty sure you'll see other brands following with similar concepts soon."

Buschmann says the larger Sportback will be positioned as an entry-level into the A5 line-up. The conventional two-door coupe will remain on sale Down Under.

Responding to a question whether the Sportback would be cheaper than the existing coupe, Buschmann stated: "The car will be the entry level into the A5 segment. I don't like the word cheap -- it'll be the most attainable in my point of view."

Buschmann also says sales estimates will have to wait until the company confirms its local engine line-up.

"I think it'll be a volume contributor [to Audi's growth] -- on the level of the current coupe. [But] We haven't made any decision on the engine line-up we're going to offer in Australia. I can only make clear a volume projection once I know what engines we'll be offering in the [local] market. [But] I'm confident the A5 coupe [sales] will not suffer."

Buschmann also confirmed Audi's stance of a single 'halo' RS model was a thing of the past. When quizzed by the Carsales Network on the one-RS strategy, the marketing chief admitted more of the hottest street Audi's were on the way.

"We have RS6, we're launching the TT-RS soon..."

RS5? "Yeah we're working on it but I'm not going to confirm a launch date," Buschmann stated.

"Demand dictates supply... I think it's a couple of factors [killed the one-RS stance]. Initially when the RS strategy came about with the RS2, the RS was a halo model for the [whole] Audi brand -- to show what is technically possible. That's where the idea came to have just one [RS model] at a time.

"Those times are over and the brand has progressed. If you look at the halo models we have -- R8, A8, we'll be coming with the Q7 V12 -- the restrictive policy to only have one halo model is outdated.

"The brand has grown out of it, so obviously we're opening the RS policy to more customers by introducing it in more segments," Buschmann stated.

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