????2013款A(yù)6目前起步價(jià)為42,200美元，而S6則為71,900美元。同樣的，A7起價(jià)為60,100美元，而S7為78,800美元。A8起價(jià)為72,200美元，S8則為110,000美元。奧迪公司的管理層表示，其緊湊型、中級(jí)車(chē)和大型車(chē)的S版銷(xiāo)量可能占其總銷(xiāo)量的15%。

????奧迪美國(guó)區(qū)產(chǎn)品管理總監(jiān)菲利普?布萊貝克稱(chēng)，過(guò)去幾年來(lái)，每臺(tái)車(chē)的平均售價(jià)已上漲約5,000美元，部分原因要?dú)w功于售出了更多高配車(chē)型。但是，通過(guò)打造吸引車(chē)迷的車(chē)型，強(qiáng)化奧迪的品牌形象已產(chǎn)生了額外的好處，也就是拉高了全線車(chē)型的價(jià)格。

????2012年的前9個(gè)月，奧迪在美國(guó)售出了100,694臺(tái)車(chē)，比去年增長(zhǎng)了18.5%。寶馬售出了186,397輛，增長(zhǎng)4.9%；奔馳售出207,048輛，增長(zhǎng)13.4%，雷克薩斯售出170,990輛，增長(zhǎng)26%。

????布萊貝克認(rèn)為：“市場(chǎng)第一并不必然意味著比別人賣(mài)了更多車(chē)。我們可以更大幅度地降價(jià)，但是我們不會(huì)這么做，因?yàn)檫@會(huì)貶低品牌。”奧迪的做法是仔細(xì)監(jiān)測(cè)殘值這類(lèi)指標(biāo)，也即一輛車(chē)使用三年后的價(jià)值占零售價(jià)的比例。據(jù)ALG公司，也就是此前名為“汽車(chē)租賃指南”（Automotive Lease Guide）的公司稱(chēng)，使用三年的奧迪售價(jià)或上個(gè)月由租轉(zhuǎn)售的價(jià)格是其原始價(jià)值的55%。寶馬和奔馳的保值率為51%，而雷克薩斯為56%。作為大眾汽車(chē)（Volkswagen AG）的豪華車(chē)子公司，奧迪在大眾2018年實(shí)現(xiàn)全球銷(xiāo)量第一的目標(biāo)中占有重要地位。LMC Forecasting的高級(jí)副總裁杰夫?舒斯特說(shuō)：“奧迪雄心勃勃，但與大眾的品牌追求相似。”

????舒斯特稱(chēng)：“鑒于高端車(chē)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)壓力，奧迪要在市場(chǎng)份額上與其他品牌平起平坐必然面臨極富挑戰(zhàn)性的環(huán)境，但是他們現(xiàn)在手中有成果來(lái)展現(xiàn)決心，所以不要小瞧他們。”

????譯者：清遠(yuǎn)

????The 2013 A6 currently starts at $42,200, the S6 at $71,900. Likewise the A7 starts at $60,100, the S7 at $78,800. The A8 starts at $72,200, the S8 at $110,000. Company executives say that S versions of their compact, medium and large sedans might amount to 15% of the total units sold.

????Filip Brabec, Audi's director of product management in the U.S., said that the average transaction price for vehicles has risen by about $5,000 a unit over the last few years, partly on the strength of selling more cars with premium features. But making the Audi brand stronger by virtue of creating versions to excite enthusiasts has provided the collateral benefit of stronger pricing for all models in the line.

????Through the first nine months of 2012, Audi sold 100,694 vehicles in the U.S., up 18.5% from a year ago. BMW sold 186,397, up 4.9%; Mercedes-Benz sold 207,048, up 13.4% and Lexus sold 170,990, up 26%.

????"Number one doesn't necessarily mean selling more vehicles than anyone else," argues Brabec. "We could discount more aggressively, but we're not going to do that because it cheapens the brand." Instead, Audi carefully monitors such metrics as residual value, the proportion of the car's retail price retained after three years of use.

????According to ALG, formerly known as Automotive Lease Guide, three-year-old Audi vehicles sold or turned in from lease last month kept 55% of their value. BMW and Mercedes each held 51% of their value, while Lexus vehicles held 56% of their value.

????As Volkswagen AG's luxury subsidiary, Audi plays a role in the German automaker's goal of becoming No. 1 in terms of sales by 2018. Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of LMC Forecasting, said "Audi's target and goals are very aggressive, but similar to those of the Volkswagen brand.

????"Given the competitive pressure in the premium segments," Schuster said, "It will be a very challenging environment to achieve parity with the other brands in terms of share, but they have results to date and show the will, so don't count them out."