Audi won't follow Volkswagen in selling Chinese-made vehicles in Australia – for now

Audi Australia says it isn't looking to source vehicles from China anytime soon, unlike its sister brands within the Volkswagen Group.

Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the new Audi RS5 in Tasmania, Audi Australia product chief Matthew Dale said Chinese-market models like the 'AUDI' E5 Sportback and other region-specific vehicles made with joint-venture partners aren't on the cards for Australia.

"The Audi E5 Sportback – that has been solely developed for the domestic Chinese market, and at the moment can't be exported. It is specifically for that market," Mr Dale said.

"At at this stage, a lot of our vehicles, and traditionally speaking... like we've had Q5 long wheelbase, A4 long wheelbase specifically made with partners in the Chinese market for that market, and can't be exported.

"What the future holds, we we can't say yet, but that will obviously be dictated by, you know, market movements. We're seeing a lot of movement at a very rapid pace in the Australian market.," Mr Dale continued.

"We're open to looking into other source bases, but at this stage China isn't one of them for the Australian market as of today."

Audi Australia director Jeff Mannering added: "It's more of a [VW] Group topic rather than an Audi topic.

"I just presented last week to the board and I showed a chart where Australia, I think, is the fourth biggest market for Chinese imports because there's no tariffs, of course.

"My words to them were 'guys, you need to be ready because it's going to come everywhere in the world'. They know that they need to look at alternatives. Now, where the alternatives are, it's for them to decide," Mr Mannering continued.

"It's not a local decision, so it's important because Australia is a very good case study of what can happen in a very short time.

"I think it's around about 18 months [ago] there's [were] technically two or three [Chinese] brands, now there are 22, and I think there are another six or seven coming in the next four or five months – so we're a good case study."

Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer told media at last month's Paris motor show that the German auto giant was looking to export more of its Chinese-made models to major markets like Europe, Southeast Asia – and Australia.

“We’re starting now to export to the global south and countries that have easier access from China than Europe, such as Australia and the Middle East,” Mr Schäfer told  British outlet Autocar.

“For the future, we’re getting ready for bringing one or more vehicles in from China.”

While the Volkswagen brand is yet to confirm which of its Chinese-built vehicles are headed Down Under in this latest onslaught, the German automaker was the first official vehicle distributor to offer a Chinese-made passenger vehicle here, in the form of the Polo Classic sedan built by Shanghai Volkswagen at Anting, near Shanghai, back in 2004.

Spanish subsidiary Cupra also sources its Tavascan electric coupe SUV from the Volkswagen Angui plant in China, a joint venture between Volkswagen and JAC Group. It's built alongside the rebadged VW ID. Unyx 06 sold in the Chinese domestic market.

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