Audi has promised to deliver cars to fleet customers more quickly in 2011 after admitting it miscalculated anticipated demand in 2010.
Jeremy Hicks, director of Audi UK, told Fleet News that many customers faced long waits for new Audis this year as a result of bad planning.
“We under-called the size of the premium market in the UK, and I think other premium brands have faced similar difficulties,” he said.
“We got it badly wrong and were too cautious in our expectations in demand for large cars and SUVs.”
Hicks said that the Q5 has been particularly affected by delays.
The admission reflects anecdotal evidence from fleet operators concerned that they are left waiting longer than the accepted three to four months that has been typical for many new vehicles.
Earlier this year Fleet News reported that for some popular company cars, the wait for delivery could be six months or more (July 8).
Hicks said the problem was a result of the UK not being allocated enough build slots at the factories following a poor year for car sales in 2009, and expectations that 2010 may be worse. He added customers should notice improved delivery times from the time of ordering after the first quarter of 2011.
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