Audi fires starting gun on January sales

AUDI Australia has jumped out of the blocks with advance notice of a January fast-start sale, signalling the start of the annual torrid New Year sales war in which manufacturers clear old stocks and try to get a jump on rivals for the year ahead.

The German company will offer free on-road fees on new and demonstrator vehicles (except Q3 and the just released 2013 Q5), along with special Audi Finance rates on new cars and free stamp duty on qualified used Audis, between January 1 and 31.

Audi will be looking for a bright start to 2013 after losing ground for much of 2012 against its arch rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

After several years of fast growth, Audi sales to the end of November were down 1.5 per cent in a market up almost 10 per cent, although the company made up ground in the latter part of the year with the arrival of new and refreshed models.

The Australian motor industry is expected to notch a record 1.1 million vehicle registrations in 2012, but industry pundits expect a massive showroom push from several manufacturers whose dealership forecourts are awash with registered ‘demonstrators’ that need to be cleared in the first quarter.

As usual, their rivals will respond with deals of their own, creating a great buying environment for shoppers.

Audi’s Open Haus sale, which is now in its eighth year, is a once-a-year sales event that many customers have come to expect, like Toyota’s big end of financial year sale, Honda’s Once a Year Day and Mazda’s M Day sale.

Audi Australia managing director Uwe Hagen said the annual ‘fast start’ campaign had become a highly anticipated activity on the Audi calendar and an initiative that was now mirrored by several other manufacturers.