Audi AG: An Introduction
Audi comeptitors
Audi is a part of the Volkswagen Group’s product portfolio.
The brand is renowned worldwide as a leading luxury automobile brand.
Audi AG is well known globally as the automobile brand with the four rings.
Apart from a luxurious riding experience, Audi cars are known for being technologically innovative and excellent in terms of design.
In 2020, despite a difficult market environment, Audi Ag delivered 1.7 million vehicles to customers worldwide compared to 1.8 million in 2019.
Its net revenues fell to 50 billion Euros in 2020 from 55.7 billion Euros in 2019.
The Audi AG group also owns the Lamborghini and Ducati brands.
Audi introduced a nice range of cars including sedans and SUVs.
Its bestselling models include Audi A3, A4, A6, Q3 and Q5.
The premium car brand has also introduced an electric model called e tron.
Audi is dedicated to innovation and plans to develop more efficient electric vehicles in the future.
To compete with the makers of sports cars, the brand has launched a nice range of sports cars including RS3 Sedan, RS 5 Coupe, RS t5 Sportback, RS 6 Avante, RS7 Sportback, RS Q8, TT RS, R* Coupe and R8 Spyder.
In this way, Audi has continued to improve its product portfolio based on changing industry dynamics, market environment and evolving consumer preferences globally.
Audi Competitors:
—————————–
In this post, we will discuss the main competitors of Audi.
The automobile industry has grown highly competitive.
Even in the premium or higher end segment, there are a large number of automobile brands competing for market share.
Let’s take a look at the main rivals of Audi.
———————————-
BMW Motors:
BMW is among the leading names in the world of luxury mobility.
The BMW logo and the slogan “Sheer driving pleasure” differentiate it from the other brands in the automobile industry.
It is a brand associated with luxury driving and innovation.
BMW products are popular across the globe.
The company has released a nice range of cars, SUVs and electric vehicles.
Despite a turbulent market environment, the company delivered 2.35 million vehicles to customers in 2020, which was 8.4% less than the previous year.
BMW is not just a leading premium car brand but also among the most competitive luxury car brands.
It also owns the Mini Cooper and RollsRoyce car brands.
However, BMW also makes and sells a nice range of motorcycles.
The group’s revenues in 2020 declined to 94.2 Billion Euros from 98.3 billion Euros in 2019 (net decline of 5%).
BMW is one of the leading rivals of Audi.
Jaguar:
Jaguar is a producer of luxury vehicles.
It is a part of Jaguar Land rover, a UK based luxury car maker that was previously owned by Ford Motors.
The company was acquired by Tata in 2008.
Jaguar has not released too many models but just five.
They include Jaguar F Pace, Jaguar I Pace, Jaguar XE, Jaguar XF, and Jaguar F Type.
Jaguar has also released an Ipace electric model.
Despite its limited product range, Jaguar cars are known worldwide for the luxury driving experience they offer.
Jaguar is a well known luxury brand and one of the strongest rivals of Audi.
Land Rover:
Land Rover is also a part of Jaguar Land Rover, the same brand that makes Jaguar cars, and is owned by INdian car maker Tata.
As a vehicle brand, Land Rover has formed a very special and unique image and serves a predominantly affluent class of customers who love luxury and compact SUVs.
It makes only SUVs that are popular globally and have their own special place in the world of luxury cars.
Currently, Land Rover only makes and sells seven models, four of which belong to the Range rover family, two to Discover family, and one to the Defender family.
The Range Rover family Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Sport and the New Range Rover.
To compete in a highly competitive industry environment, the company has also released an electric model Defender Electric.
Land Rovers have also found strong fame and popularity in Hollywood movies.
The latest James Bond movie features the Land Rover Defender, which is the newest offering from the Land Rover family.
Mercedes:
Mercedes is also one of the leading names in the world of luxury cars and a leading rival of Audi with a strong global presence.
The brand is owned by Daimler.
According to the US website of Mercedes Benz, the company was founded in 1926 by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and Emil Jellinek.
The brand has offices in 93 locations around the world and continues to expand its global presence.
Its headquarters are located in Stuttgart, Germany.
Mercedes continues to rule the luxury cars industry along with a few others like BMW, and Audi.
Its several models including Mercedes Maybach have found heavy popularity in various corners of the globe.
Mercedes Benz offers a vast range of cars including sedans, SUVs, wagons, vans, trucks, coupes, convertibles and roadsters as well as an electric model Mercedes Benz EQC.
As the popularity of SUVS continues to grow around the world, the company has developed a nice range of SUVs to cater to the growing demand worldwide.
Here is a list of the SUVs designed and sold by Mercedes Benz.
- GLA SUV
- GLB SUV
- GLC SUV
- GLC Coupe
- GLE SUV
- GLE Coupe
- GLS SUV
- Mercedes- Maybach GLS SUV
- G Class SUV.
The popularity of Mercedes around the world has grown driven by several factors including its focus on design, innovation, and marketing.
Mercedes Benz is among the strongest rivals of Audi.
Skoda:
Skoda is also among one of the leading names in the world of premium cars and SUVs.
It is owned by the Volkswagen group, which also owns Audi.
The large product portfolio of Volkswagen includes other premium car brands also.
SKODA is one of the oldest operating automakers in the world.
It was founded in the year 1895.
SKODA currently makes and sells only eight vehicle models.
Its best sellers include Octavia, Rapid and Karoq.
Due to the pandemic, SKODA experienced a heavy drop in its vehicle sales globally.
Skoda sales globally fell from 1.24 million units in 2019 to 0.94 million units in 2020.
Its best selling model Octavia is currently among the leading competitors of Audi in various markets.
Porsche:
Porsche is among the leading makers of luxury sports cars globally.
The brand is among the most popular names in the world of sports cars.
Porsche has also released a nice range of sports cars.
Among the best selling models of Porsche are Cayenne and Macan.
The other models designed and sold by Porsche include Taycan, 911 Coupe/Cabriolet,718 Boxster/Cayman and Panamera.
Porsche has also released a plugin hybrid named Panamera 4S E-Hybrid.
The brand focuses heavily on innovation and design to maintain its popularity and brand image.
Its product line competes with the sports car range of Audi.
Lamborghini:
Lamborghini is also among the leading names in the world of luxury mobility.
The brand is also owned by the Audi AG group.
Lamborghini was founded in 1963.
The brand has its headquarters in SantAgata, Bolognese in Northern Italy.
In 2020, amid a difficult market environment, the company delivered 7,250 units compared to 8664 units in 2019.
Its most popular and best selling model is the Urus, followed by the Huracan Coupe.
Urus is the first Super SUV launched by Lamborghini in 2017.
In 2021, Lamborghini has launched Huracan STO, which is an all new super sports car.
In this way, Lamborghini has continued to improve the effectiveness of its product portfolio based on evolving consumer preferences.
Volvo Cars:
Volvo is also a leading maker of premium automobiles, known for making highly safe and efficient cars.
Volvo cars was initially a part of the Volvo group that makes transport solutions including trucks and buses as well as construction equipment, as well as power solutions for marine and industrial applications.
The Volvo group was founded in 1927.
It has its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.
However, Volvo Cars is currently owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China.
In 1999, the Volvo group divested Volvo cars as a part of its streamlining plan.
In 2010, Ford Motors, which had acquired Volvo cars, sold it to its current owner.
Volvo cars sells its products across more than 100 companies through a network of more than 2,300 dealers.
It makes and sells premium car models in three segments mainly – sedans (S60, S90), versatile estates (V60, V90) and SUVs (XC40, XC60, XC90).
Ferrari:
Ferrari is among the most iconic brands in the world of racing cars.
Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939, the company has expanded its presence worldwide.
It makes only sports cars.
Its cars are known for their matchless style and design.
The company maintains a heavy focus on innovation.
Apart from their looks, Ferrari cars are also renowned worldwide for their performance.
Ferrari is among the most competitive brands in the luxury performance car industry.
The Ferrari brand holds a distinct appeal and a unique identity, which is to some extent based on the continued success of the Scuderia Ferrari racing Team in the formula One world championship.
The brand experienced a decline in shipments in 2020 caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.
The total number of Ferrari shipments in 2020 remained 9,1119 compared to 10,131 in 2019.
In the world of racing and sports cars, Ferrari is considered a symbol of exclusivity, innovation, state-of-the-art sporting performance and Italian design and engineering heritage.
Ferrari has introduced a nice range of sports cars including 812 superfast, 812 GTS, 296 GTB, SF90 stradale, SF90 Spider, F8 Tributo, F8 Spider, Ferrari Roma, Ferrari Portofino M and others like Ferrari Daytona SP3 and Ferrari Monza SP1.
Aston Martin:
Aston Martin is also a renowned name in the world of luxury cars, made famous worldwide by James Bond movies.
The company was founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in 1913 in London.
Aston Martin started as a racing car brand but went on to become a leading name in the world of luxury rides.
The company operates primarily in the high luxury sports market.
Its corporate headquarters are located in Gaydon, England.
The company has manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, England and St Athan Wayles.
Aston Martin currently makes and sells five models which include DBX, Vantage, DB11, DBS and Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Aston Martin operates a franchise model for its dealerships, which allows the company to maintain strong control over brand positioning while limiting capital investment.
There are 167 Aston Martin dealers in 54 countries through which the company sells its products worldwide.
Bugatti:
Bugatti is also a renowned and leading name in the world of luxury sports cars.
These cars are known for their performance, style, design and innovation.
Bugatti cars belong to the higher end luxury market costing more than Rolls Royces.
Bugatti sells four types of models that include Chron, One Off, Concept Car and Veyron.
Toyota:
Toyota is a Japan based automaker with a global presence that is known for its higher performance vehicles and innovation.
Toyota is also known for having pioneered the lean methodology.
The company has released a vast range of cars, SUVs, and electric cars.
Apart from competitively priced family cars, the company also makes and sells SUVs and luxury cars for the higher end segment.
Toyota is known worldwide for its focus on engineering, innovation and technology.
Its products have been highly popular in the United States,
In 2021, the Toyota RAV4 was the best selling SUV in the United States.
It sold 221,200 units in the first six months of 2021.
During the same period, Toyota was also the leading passenger car brand in the United States having sold some 177,700 units of Toyota Camry.
The worldwide popularity of the brand is driven by its focus on innovation and customer experience.
Toyota also owns the Lexus brand that makes and sells luxury cars.
Ford Motors:
Ford Motors is also a leading name in the world of automobiles.
It is among the largest automobile companies based in the United States.
The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1919 and has its headquarters in Michigan, United States.
Ford also owns the Lincoln brand of premium vehicles and sells its products worldwide through a network of more than 10,900 dealerships.
Due to the pandemic, the sales of automobiles were down in 2020 worldwide.
In 2020, Ford also experienced a heavy decline in its sales of automobiles.
The sales of automobiles fell to 4.5 million units in 2020 compared to 5.5 million units in 2019.
Ford has introduced a vast range of automobiles including trucks, SUVs and cars.
Its main market is the United States, where its trucks are among its best selling models.
In 2020, the company sold 2.04 million vehicle units in the United States compared to 2.42 million units in 2019.
It sold 1.1 million tricks in the US alone in 2020.
Ford’s vast product range includes products priced competitively in the introductory segment to products made for the higher end market.
General Motors:
General Motors is also among the leading automobile brands based in the United States.
The company owns four automobile brands that include Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac.
GM makes and sells a vast range of cars and SUVs.
It has continued to improve its product portfolio to meet evolving customer demand better.
Its product range includes competitively priced products to products made for the higher end segment.
Chevrolet offers a vast range of products made for the mass market and some higher end models.
However, Cadillac mainly makes products for the higher end segment.
In 2020, General Motors also experienced a decline in sales caused by the pandemic.
The total net sales of the company globally remained 6.83 million units in 2020 compared to 7.72 million units in 2019.
There are several products in the portfolio of General Motors including sedans and SUVs that compete against Audi in the global market.
Hyundai Motors:
Hyundai Motors is a South Korean Automobile giant with a strong worldwide presence.
The company has experienced strong growth in sales over the past several years driven by its attractive portfolio and a strong focus on innovation.
Hyundai has released a nice range of cars, SUVs and electric cars.
In 2020, while Hyundai also experienced a decline in sales due to the pandemic, the impact was lower on Hyundai compared to most other automobile brands.
Its global sales declined by only 15.4% in 2020 compared to 2019.
Hyundai sold 3.74 million units in 2020 compared to 4.4 million units in 2019.
The company was incorporated in Korea in 1967 and was listed on the Korean stock exchange in 1974.
Another famous South Korean Automobile giant Kia Motors is also a subsidiary of Hyundai Motors.
Hyundai’s vast range of products includes cars and SUVs in a diverse price range.
Starting from the competitively priced entry level models to luxury cars, Hyundai offers a vast range of models, which have found strong popularity in several corners of the globe.
Hyundai also owns the luxury car brand Genesis, which makes and sells a nice range of Luxury sedans and SUVs.
Its luxury models compete with Audi in the US and the other markets globally.
Infiniti:
Infiniti is a luxury car brand owned by the famous automaker Nissan.
It makes cars in the premium segment.
It has introduced a nice range of SUVs, crossovers and sedans targeted at the higher end segment of the automobile market.
Several of Infiniti models compete against Audi in the US and the other markets.