Audi announces they want two million annual sales by 2020 and plans to expand model range rapidly - Will this impact quality?

[Sticky]

Audi has some ambitious goals and two million annual sales is one of them. Audi just came straight out and said it, "We are now setting our sights on the next target and are in a strong position to achieve the two million mark by 2020." 2020 is just over six years away so how exactly does Audi plan to get that volume so quickly? Well, they intend to expand the Audi model range to 60 models of cars squeezing in several new variants.

This has already begun with the A1, A3, A5, A7, Q3, Q5, etc. A Q1 is on the way for 2016 which is another example of Audi plugging away to fill any perceived gap. Is creating new entry level models going to water the brand down? Is trying to hit some arbitrary figures really the measure of success?

Mercedes already stopped playing this game seemingly taking the professional and intelligent route. They are just fine with not being number 1 in sales volume as they recognize that does not equal quality. Does Toyota make a better vehicle than Ferrari for example? Which one would you rather have if money was not the factor? Ferrari is trying to get their volume down while increasing their profit. Now that is quite a tactic and the opposite of what you are seeing BMW and Audi engage in.

So, Audi is going to play the sales volume game. Their cars have improved but hitting a figure to simply hit a figure is not the best way to continue producing better cars. More is not always better and if Audi wants more sales they should consider bringing more of their models already available to the USA. AudiBoost will take quality over quantity, thank you very much.

Press release below.

AUDI AG: More than 1.5 million automobiles delivered to customers

- Milestone delivery today at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt
- CEO Stadler: "Expanding product range to 60 models"
- Sales chief Luca de Meo: "Setting our sights on the next target of two million deliveries by 2020"

Ingolstadt, December 16, 2013 – A special moment for the brand with the four rings: Today, the 1.5 millionth Audi since the beginning of the year was handed over to its owner at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt. This means that AUDI AG has achieved its sales target, set for 2015, two years earlier than planned. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, and sales chief Luca de Meo personally handed a customer from Germany the keys to the anniversary vehicle: an Audi A3 Sportback.

"Our whole team is making Audi history today: In 2005, we set ourselves a very ambitious goal, and since then have sparked an unparalleled brand and model initiative," said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. "We will continue to write this success story and expand our product range from the current 49 to 60 models. We see a great deal of potential, particularly in the SUV segment and in the especially prestigious full-size category."

With over 1.5 million deliveries in 2013, AUDI AG will have doubled its global sales within a single decade. In 2003, Audi sold around 769,900 cars annually.

"Today, we are reaching our intermediate target significantly earlier than planned, despite extremely challenging conditions in many markets," says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. "We are now setting our sights on the next target and are in a strong position to achieve the two million mark by 2020."

The company recently achieved record figures for the 47th month in a row since January 2010. The brand's global sales currently exceed the previous record set in 2012 by 7.4 percent.

[whoosh]

No doubt a lot of these new deliveries will be in China. If that represent the bulk of their target, rather than selling 150k Q1's a year, then good.

[BlackJetE90OC]

Audi could actually use more models.

Would be nice if they brought the S5 sportback over here.

[Flinchy]

need more ludicrously fast wagons and small cars (S1/RS1 please ) .