CNBC
Уровень B2· 335 слов
Faced with steep tariffs, plummeting EV sales and an unstable, unpredictable global market, German luxury brand Audi is trying to claw its way back from a 30% drop in sales in the first quarter of the year.
Audi has really been struggling in the US. They're on track for the third consecutive year of double digit sales losses.
And I mean, that's hard to do in a market that has been up, if not level. The brand just unveiled the latest in an onslaught of products aimed right at the heart of the US market, the Q9 three row SUV.
We went to see it. This is the Audi Q9. We also saw the high performance SQ9 which they also revealed today.
And there's a bunch of best in class metrics on this, some best in class performance numbers. These are smart headlights that have been available in Europe and elsewhere, but not in the US.
They're finally bringing it here. There's also a bunch of other stuff, like some OLED lighting on the tails, and some turning signals that can actually reflect on the ground when you activate them with these three launches, Audi says it will have the youngest premium SUV lineup in the US.
If you look at our recent introductions, whether it is the Q3, whether it is this car, it really plays right into the center of what's happening in America.
SUVs keep growing. It's over 80% of the of the premium space, and we have absolute top contenders in each and every part of those segments.
Here's how Audi compares with its closest German rivals. It's a role reversal for a brand that historically had been a formidable competitor to BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Audi for decades was kind of nipping at the heels of what used to be a duopoly of German OEMs, and through the years it had increased its market share.
Ever since 2020, the brand has struggled, and that includes vehicles that have not done well in studies like J.D. Power initial quality.
The brand has been last in many of these surveys. Audi blamed its first quarter drop primarily on tariffs and the end of federal EV subsidies.
