( dpa )- Volkswagen subsidiary Audi plans to break the 1 million-vehicle barrier this year in worldwide sales, Audi head Rupert Stadler said Sunday.
Stadler , speaking on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show, said the goal was to sell more than 1 million vehicles in 2008.
In 2007, Audi boosted its sales by 6.5 per cent over 2006 to about 964,000 units. It was the company's 12th successive annual sales record.
Audi currently sees Eastern Europe and China as the largest growth markets, Stadler said.
Stadler said that Audi was considering building a factory in the US. Its current worldwide production capacity is 1.1 million autos. Volkswagen was also thinking about expanding production in the US. Stadler did not exclude cooperation between the two companies. He said that time would tell what would be the best path.
Despite the slumping US auto market, Stadler sees the chance for 2008 growth in the US for Audi. He expects that the premium car market will remain stable. Audi boosted US sales by 3.8 per cent in 2007 to 93,500 vehicles. The performance put Audi in a "break even" stage, Stadler said.
He declined to say whether the US performance was a plus or a minus for Audi. VW continues to run in the red in the US market.
Stadler expressed reserve about the prospects for the Indian market. The premium market will likely remain stable, and most growth will be in the lower-price end of the market and for small cars, he noted.
Audi sold only 400 vehicles in 2007 in India.