Audi bets on new A6 to drive Korea growth

Audi Korea on Monday launched the redesigned Audi A6 in South Korea, betting on its flagship sedan to drive growth in what the German luxury carmaker calls one of its most critical markets.

To mark the new Audi A6’s debut, key executives and board members, as well as CEO Gernot Dollner and Marco Schubert, the Audi board member responsible for sales and marketing, visited Seoul, underscoring the country’s importance to the company.

“Korea is one of Audi’s most important strategic markets, not because of volume, but because of impact,” Dollner said at the Audi A6 launch in Seoul on Monday. “For more than 20 years, Korean customers have helped set the pace for Audi and for the global premium automotive industry.”

Dollner noted that Korean consumer’s sophistication, design sensitivity and expectations of premium quality have raised the standards for Audi for not only Korea, but across the global market,

“Korea is a global benchmark for Audi,” he said “It is one of the world’s most advanced digital ecosystems, shaped by highly educated digitally native customers with an exceptional openness to innovations.”

He also acknowledged that the company had faced challenges in rebuilding trust after product-related issues and past temporary sales suspensions.

“Product issues and temporary sales suspension strained trust, but we did no step away,” he said. “On the contrary, these experiences strengthened our determination to show what Audi truly stands for: responsibility, reliability and the clear long-term commitments to Korea.”

Dollner shared confidence that Audi A6, the carmaker’s most popular Audi model in South Korea, would help lead the company’s next phase of growth.

“The A6 will remain the core of our lineup in Korea and is a key driver of our growth ambitions in this market,” he said.

Audi Korea Executive Director Steve Cloete echoed the view, stressing South Korea as one of the world’s most “sophisticated and dynamic” premium vehicle markets, and the A6 as a central contributor to Audi’s growth here since its establishment two decades ago.

“Since Audi Korea’s official establishment in 2004, we are now approaching a milestone of 300,000 vehicles sold in the Korean market,” Cloete said. “Over that period, the Audi A6 has recorded more than 120,000 sales, reflecting its strong resonance (with) Korean customers.”

The new A6 comes seven years after the previous generation was introduced in 2019.

The new A6 will be offered in six trims. All versions are equipped with the seven-speed S Tronic automatic transmission.

The top gasoline model, the A6 55 TFSI quattro, produces up to 367 horsepower. The diesel-powered A6 40 TDI quattro generates 204 horsepower and 40.8 kilogram-meters of torque, while incorporating Audi’s MHEV Plus mild hybrid technology to improve both performance and fuel efficiency.

Audi Korea is seeking to maintain the momentum of its recovery after domestic sales rebounded last year. The company plans to use the new A6 sedan and the Q3 sport utility vehicle as its primary engines of growth for the year ahead, with plans to launch additional models.

“Building on the strong momentum of vehicles such as the A6 etron, A5 and G5, we will continue to expand our portfolio in Korea with additional models, including the Q3, as well as our flagship SUVs, the Q7 and Q9, with significantly accelerated timelines for Koreans.”

sahn@heraldcorp.com