Audi to Launch New Sunshine Coast Showroom

SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA – March 26, 2009: Australia’s fastest growing premium brand, Audi, will today celebrate the opening of its newest showroom facility, the completely refurbished Audi Centre Sunshine Coast – the first standalone Audi showroom for the region.

The Audi Centre Sunshine Coast facility redevelopment is based on the brand’s global architectural concept for showroom interiors.

The multimillion dollar investment incorporates a completely renovated 200 square metre new car showroom, 150 square metre Audi Approved Plus preowned vehicle showroom, aftersales facility and land and reflects significant commitment of Audi and AP Eagers to the Sunshine Coast market.

The investment also highlights the untapped growth potential for the Audi brand in the region, and will be further supported in the coming months by additional investments in staff, training and facilities to prepare the business for future expansion.

Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann, Audi Centre Sunshine Coast dealer principal Warwick Stansfield and AP Eagers CEO Martin Ward will officially open the facility.

Audi Ambassador John Eales will host the opening as MC.

The showroom opening on the Sunshine Coast will double as the official launch for the new Audi Q5 compact SUV.

Guests at the event will have the opportunity to experience this brand new model in the metal, ideally suited to the Australian lifestyle thanks to a potent combination of versatile on and offroad performance, low consumption and typically top quality Audi design and engineering.

Audi is Australia’s fastest growing premium brand, experiencing four years of record growth and doubling its sales and market share since 2004.

In 2008, Audi grew by record 30%, and has followed up with record sales in the months of January and February. March results are expected to follow this upward trend.

This impressive growth has been mirrored by the local dealership which increased sales by massive 50% in 2007 compared with the previous year, and maintained steady growth throughout 2008 – by virtue of the strong investment and clear focus of the AP Eagers Group which took over the Audi franchise on the Sunshine Coast in December 2006.

Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, is confident that the brand is in an excellent position to continue its positive and profitable growth thanks to highlycompetitive product offering, like the new Audi Q5, investment into the Australian market by Audi Australia and the dealer network and high profile brand activities.

Audi Centre Sunshine Coast dealer principal Warwick Stansfield said that the opening of the new facility on Nicklin Way, in the heart of the Sunshine Coast’s luxury automobile retail precinct, was sign of Audi’s strength on national stage and the untapped potential of the Sunshine Coast region.

“Australia is the fastest growing market in the world for Audi and following the success of Audi Centre Sunshine Coast in 2007, and our steady 2008 performance, we look forward to maximizing our growth potential here on the Coast,” Mr Stansfield said.

“Our first full year of Audi sales in 2007 saw us grow by an impressive 50% and we have maintained this steady increase throughout 2008, as well as significantly improving our Customer Satisfaction rating. One of our apprentices, Mark Ross, has won Audi’s ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award for two years running and we look forward to continuing to provide the Sunshine Coast community with an appropriately high level of sales and aftersales service from this premium Audi showroom. We are confident the brand has an exciting future in the region,” Mr Stansfield added.