Wednesday, 31 July 2024, 12:35
José Miguel Aparicio will step down as head of Audi Spain to take the reins of the British subsidiary starting in September. The Madrid-born executive has led the four-ring brand since 2018, after leaving Skoda Spain.
Starting October 1st, he will replace Andrew Doyle, who will move back to his native Australia to manage the Peter Warren dealership group. The brand has stated that Aparicio’s successor “will be announced later.”
José Miguel Aparicio joined the Volkswagen Group in 2010 from Ford. He has held significant positions such as Sales Director at Seat, where he managed to position the brand among the top ranks of the Spanish market.
For over 25 years, Audi has been the preferred premium brand for Spaniards. However, Mercedes-Benz now occupies the top spot. Regaining this position will be one of the priorities for Aparicio’s successor.
To achieve this, the four-ring brand is engaged in “the biggest product offensive in its history,” according to the executive. Between 2024 and 2025, Ingolstadt’s manufacturer is expected to launch 20 vehicles, starting with the aesthetic update of the A3 and the arrival of the Q6 e-tron.
Aparicio has expressed optimism about European brands’ ability to withstand the arrival of Chinese brands. “We respect all our competitors and observe them closely because there are surely many things we can learn from them as well. But what’s important is to remain true to our DNA of innovation, which has brought us this far.”
Regarding CO2 regulation, something that the British market is not subject to as it is no longer part of the EU, the Spanish executive believes that what is essential is “to have stable environments that allow us to make long-term decisions. We are talking about investments of billions of euros and, in that sense, the more stable the regulation, the better for the industry.”
Despite the UK being able to make its own decisions regarding emissions, manufacturers have already warned that it makes no sense to develop engines specifically for one market, meaning that available engines there will be subject to European Union limits.
In 2023, Audi was the best-selling premium brand in the UK, with 137,489 vehicles registered. Eighteen percent of these (24,773) were zero-emission models, representing an 85% increase compared to the previous year. The best-selling model was the A3 (30,168), followed by the A1 (17,321) and the Q4 e-tron (16,743).