Finance
Audi misses sales target despite strong end to the year
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 14, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 14, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Audi missed its 2025 sales target due to U.S. tariffs and competition in China, despite a strong year-end. Global EV sales rose by 36%.
By Emanuele Berro
Jan 14 (Reuters) - Audi fell just short of its 2025 sales target despite a strong final quarter, the Volkswagen-owned premium carmaker said on Wednesday, citing U.S. tariffs and a highly competitive market.
The German company is under pressure after twice cutting its full-year profitability forecast as it sought to contend with difficulties in the U.S. and China in addition to restructuring costs and technological setbacks.
"An intense competitive environment in China and U.S. tariff policy affected the entire automotive sector and shaped global consumer behaviour," Audi said.
Strength in Europe and emerging markets could not fully offset these factors, the company added, though it was more upbeat on the outlook for this year, pointing to rising monthly sales from September onwards.
Deliveries in North America were hit particularly hard last year by the 25% tariffs imposed by the U.S. in April, though they were lowered to 15% in August.
Audi registered a 12.2% slump in North American sales and a 5% drop in China as total sales dropped by 2.9% to 1.62 million vehicles, missing its target of between 1.65 million and 1.75 million.
German automakers have been losing market share in China to domestic brands such as BYD, though Audi's global deliveries of fully electric models rose 36% last year to 223,000 vehicles, with EV orders up about 58%.
Audi was not alone among German automakers registering sales declines last year, with parent Volkswagen selling 0.5% fewer vehicles than in 2024 while Mercedes-Benz deliveries fell by 9% and BMW reported a 1.4% drop in sales of its core brand.
(Reporting by Emanuele Berro in GdanskEditing by David Goodman)
Vehicle delivery performance refers to the number of vehicles a manufacturer delivers to customers within a specific timeframe, often used to assess sales success and market demand.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are automobiles that are powered by electricity instead of traditional fuels, contributing to reduced emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
Market competition refers to the rivalry among businesses to attract customers and increase sales, often influencing pricing, quality, and innovation.
A competitive market environment is characterized by many businesses vying for the same customers, leading to price competition and innovation.
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