Audi's star on rise

A-list celebrities and a new $50 million corporate headquarters are German carmaker Audi's latest gambits to beat prestige rivals in Australia.

With the help of former Miss World Jennifer Hawkins, designer Colette Dinnigan and a host of Aussie sport legends including Cathy Freeman and Steve Waugh, Audi has more than doubled sales in four years.

“Total investment in new and upgraded facilities in Australia will exceed $170 million by 2010,” Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann says.

Hofmann, 41, arrived in Australia at the end of a dismal 2004 when Audi sales had fallen to 3701 units.

In the first five months of this year, Audi sold 4193 cars and is set to achieve 35 per cent growth on 2007.

He recruited the high profile ambassadors to spruik Audi's stylishly-designed cars.

Sponsorships include prestige events such as the Sydney Harbour regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week and of the Sydney Theatre Company, which has Cate Blanchett driving an Audi.

And Audi is now on track to pass Mercedes-Benz and BMW in passenger vehicle sales, Hofmann says.

“Our vision is to become the number one prestige brand in Australia.

“The dealer network will be completely rebuilt by 2010. When I came on board we invested about $20 million a year in the brand. We ramped that up to about $35 million and will go to $40 million or maybe even higher,” he says.

“This year we can come close to 9000 sales and the 15,000 borderline will be reached before 2015.

“I believe we can achieve it earlier. In percentage terms we are the number one growth market in the Audi world, including Russia and China.”

Fifteen new model lines and variants have been introduced since Hofmann's arrival, with another five due in the next 12 months. These run the gamut from the Porsche-rivalling $250,000 R8 coupe to a $38,000 diesel hatchback that uses less fuel than Toyota's Prius.

Released in April, Audi's crucial new prestige sedan, the A4, is within sight of BMW 3 Series. Its entry in the ever-expanding compact SUV segment, the Q5, is due next year.

Elsewhere, work has begun on the so-called Lighthouse facility on South Dowling St in Sydney.

It follows the recent opening of the imposing Terminal on Parramatta Rd, Five Dock, the first of an international roll-out of such designer dealerships.