Audi City: The metropolis cyberstore opens its doors

Ingolstadt/London (ots) -

- First digital Audi showroom opens in the centre of London
- Sales chief Schwarzenbauer: "Visitors can expect a previously
unheard-of level of personal customer service."
- More than 20 locations in major international cities by 2015

Audi is preparing automotive retail for the future and
complementing its dealer network with a new format - Audi City. The
first location opens today in London close to Piccadilly Circus. The
brand's entire model line-up is presented fully digitally in a
compact space. The efficient use of space facilitated by this
approach allows the four rings to be present in the heart of major
international cities. Over the next few years, Audi will secure more
of these attractive locations, opening more than 20 stores worldwide
by 2015. In future, Audi City will also play a crucial role in the
marketing of new mobility services and electric-drive Audi models.

"Audi City combines the best of two worlds - digital product
presentation and personal contact with the dealer," says Peter
Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and
Sales at AUDI AG. "This new retail format brings us even closer to
our customers - geographically, of course, but first and foremost in
terms of the quality of our relationship. Audi City offers new
freedom for tailor-made services and an even more individual contact
with the customer."

Thanks to groundbreaking media technology, the vehicle
manufacturer now has the ability not only to present its growing
model line-up - including all colours, equipment options and
functions - in its entirety, but also to offer customers the chance
to experience the sheer breadth of the range in full. Visitors can
digitally select their vehicle from several hundred million possible
configurations and experience it in realistic 1:1 scale on screens
that almost fill the entire space. Moreover, technical details such
as the drivetrain, bodyshell or LED light technology can be presented
individually in order to make innovations understandable on an
intuitive level.

With Audi City, the premium manufacturer is responding to
customers' changing needs. "People are placing greater emphasis than
ever before on a direct and personal bond of trust with their vehicle
brand - especially in respect of the increasing variety of products
and available information," explains Schwarzenbauer. "Thus, with Audi
City, we are creating a one-stop-shop for experiencing our brand. It
is right in the midst of our customers' lives, yet seamlessly
connected to the online range offered by the four rings."

This is particularly assured by the Customer Relationship Manager,
who will be deployed in future at Audi City locations. This
individual will be the customer's central and consistent point of
contact for all needs - from the first consultation to after-sales
and ongoing services. Plus, every Audi City is also connected to an
Audi dealership that provides the entire spectrum of AUDI AG services
as a single-point centre of competence.

With this highly personalized customer dialogue and the provision
of individual services, Audi City represents a substantial expansion
of the retail experience. In support of this, AUDI AG offers employee
training targeted specifically at these urban stores and also
supports the dealer in their selection and further training.
Furthermore, employees increasingly have a more broad-based
educational background - as IT experts, for instance, who are
qualified to explain the digital world of Audi City.

Their central urban location makes each Audi City more than simply
an additional retail outlet. Audi City will also evolve into a
meeting place for fans of the brand, where they can make contact with
the world of the four rings whenever they want. The stores will also
be used as a dialogue forum for issues outside of core automotive
business. For example, following close of daily business, they will
play host to readings, round-table discussions and exhibitions on
issues such as urban development and mobility or on matters relating
to art, culture and design.

Digital press kit on Audi City:
http://www.audi-city-mediaguide.de

Photos of the opening available as of Tuesday 17 July on:
www.audi-mediaservices.com

- End -

The Audi Group delivered 1,302,659 cars of the Audi brand
to customers in 2011. In 2011 the Company posted revenue of
E44.1 billion and an operating profit of E5.3 billion. Audi
produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gy?r
(Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). The Audi Q7 is
built in Bratislava (Slovakia). In July 2010, CKD production of the
Audi Q5 was added to the existing Audi A4 and A6 manufacturing
operations in Aurangabad (India). At the Brussels plant, production
of the Audi A1 has been running since 2010, while production of the
new A1 Sportback began in 2012. The Audi Q3 has been built in
Martorell (Spain) since June 2011. The Company is active in more
than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries
include AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. in
Sant'Agata Bolognese (Italy), AUDI BRUSSELS S.A./N.V. in Brussels
(Belgium) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Subject to a decision
by the responsible competition authorities, the Italian sports
motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. will also belong
to the Audi Group. Audi currently employs around 65,000 people
worldwide, including around 48,000 in Germany. Between 2012 and 2016
the brand with the four rings is planning to invest a total of E13
billion - mainly in new products and the extension of production
capacities - in order to sustain the Company's technological lead
embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. Audi is currently
expanding its site in Gy?r (Hungary) and will start production in
Foshan (China) in late 2013 and in Mexico in 2016.

Audi has long been fulfilling its social responsibility on many
levels - with the aim of making the future worth living for
generations to come. The basis for Audi's lasting success is
therefore formed by environmental protection, the conservation of
resources, international competitiveness and a forward-looking
human resources policy. One example of AUDI AG's commitment to
environmental issues is the Audi Environmental Foundation. Within the
context of "Vorsprung durch Technik," which extends far beyond its
products, the Company is directing its activities toward a major
goal - comprehensive CO2-neutral mobility.

Pressekontakt:
Corporate Communications
Susanne Brieu
Press Spokeswoman Marketing and Sales
Tel: +49 841 89-41573
e-mail: susanne.brieu@audi.de
www.audi-mediaservices.com

Corporate Communications
Moritz Drechsel
Press Spokesman Marketing and Sales
Tel: +49 841 89-39914
e-mail: moritz.drechsel@audi.de
www.audi-mediaservices.com