Audi wants to catch Mercedes by selling two million cars annually

It is the start of a new era at Audi. The concept C heralds a new design language and a return to the quality of interior materials. It is thought that these fundamental changes are part of a broader strategy to chase arch river Mercedes and ideally catch it in the luxury sales race. Executives of one of the various VW Group Luxury brands are reportedly working on a long-term plan to stimulate annual turnover at two million vehicles.

That milestone has never been reached. The best year of Audi was 2023, when it delivered 1,895,240 cars worldwide. However, sales fell by 11.8 percent to 1,671,218 vehicles in 2024. The downfall enabled Tesla to catch up on Audi for the first time after the company of Elon Musk had shipped 1,789,226 EVs. The Model 3 and Model Y just surpassed the entire Audi brand last year. Mercedes finished comfortably ahead by moving 1,983,400 cars in the same period, while BMW retained the top position with 2,200,217 units.

After surpassing a million annual turnover for the first time in 2008, Audi now wants to double that milestone, according to a plan that is reportedly in the works in Ingolstadt. ReutersWith reference to an insider, it says that the aggressive target is part of a broader strategy that is expected to be announced before the end of the year. It remains unclear when Audi is planning to reach the two million figure, but the challenge is important in view of the upcoming retirement of the most affordable cars.

The volume-oriented A1 and Q2 are stopped after the current generation, leaving the A3 as the combustion model at entry level. A more affordable electrical model is attached to the EV side for 2026. A year later, the production version of the concept C will join the Line -up, although it is unlikely that the needle will be moved how sports cars are a shrinking niche.

Although it will undermine the R8, the new coupé with an electrically retractable Targa top will still wear a price tag with six digits, so that it is put out of reach for most enthusiasts. The lack of a more affordable version of gasoline is further limited to its customer base. Nevertheless, Audi hopes that the model will stimulate its image, just as the original TT lures showrooms in the late nineties and more people. Internally, the sports car is recommended as a “TT Moment 2.0”.

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Source: Audi

While Audi has refused to comment on his ambitions of two million sales, the Reuters Source suggested that the American market could play a key role. Local production is considered rates imposed by the Trump government. In the ideal case, according to Audi, building cars in America could double the regional sale according to the same source. In 2024, the company supplied 196,576 cars in the US, a steep decrease of 14 percent compared to the previous year.

If Audi strives to hit two million cars in a year, then it is a good thing that the company has been withdrawn from his too ambitious EV-Alleen agenda. Instead of becoming fully electric by 2032, as initially announced, combustion engines will hang around for longer.