Audi's Q3 profit falls 87% to 95 million euros and full-year outlook is cut

Third-quarter profit nearly vanishes

Audi reported on Friday, 30 October 2026 a third-quarter profit after tax of 95 million euros, down 87% from 718 million euros a year earlier. The Volkswagen subsidiary only narrowly avoided a loss. According to Handelsblatt, the Audi core brand posted a quarterly loss of 174 million euros on revenue of 11.6 billion euros, while the Progressive group of Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati earned 28 million euros. Volkswagen had reported its own loss a day earlier, which Handelsblatt linked to write-downs on Porsche and losses in its China business. Deliveries in the quarter fell 19.6% to 319,225 vehicles from 397,053 a year earlier.

Q3 2025718

Q3 202695

Q3 2025

718 million euros

Q3 2026

95 million euros

Data from the article text

Q3 2025397,053

Q3 2026319,225

Q3 2025

397053 vehicles

Q3 2026

319225 vehicles

Data from the article text

Nine-month figures and a lower outlook

Over the first nine months, deliveries totalled 1,056,103 vehicles, down 11.3%, and revenue reached 42.06 billion euros, down 13.1%. Sources differ on profit: Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor and Spiegel put operating profit at 1.15 billion euros, down from 1.56 billion, while ANSA and Berliner Zeitung cite a profit after tax of 1.22 billion euros. The company now expects 2026 revenue of 55 to 59 billion euros, compared with the 58 to 63 billion it projected in July. It also forecasts a margin of 3 to 5 percent, after 5 to 7 percent in July, net cash flow of 2.5 to 3.5 billion euros, and deliveries of 1.35 to 1.45 million vehicles for the brand group.

Georgia plant and criticism of the CEO

On Saturday, 24 October, Donald Trump announced a new Audi plant in Georgia at a campaign event, with CEO Gernot Döllner on stage beside him. Döllner has faced heavy criticism since then. Berliner Zeitung reports that Audi is cutting thousands of jobs in Germany and is still negotiating the future of its Neckarsulm plant, while planning a multibillion-euro investment in the United States. Rittersberger told journalists that the Georgia plant is no decision against Germany. He added that the company has far greater ambitions for the US market.

Rittersberger described the US opportunity in these words:

“The US is the world's second-largest premium car market, and we are not fully tapping that potential at the moment.”

Causes and the fourth-quarter outlook

Audi attributes the weak quarter to a sharp market slump in China, especially for combustion-engine cars, to tougher competition and export pressure from Chinese manufacturers in Europe, and to uncertainty from the Middle East conflict and higher energy costs, along with US tariffs. Rittersberger said the situation deteriorated considerably in the third quarter. He summed up the results in these words:

“The key figures clearly show: the need for action at Audi is high and brooks no delay.”

Rittersberger expects the fourth quarter to be stronger, citing new Q7 and Q9 SUV models for the US market. He put it this way:

“We expect a significantly stronger fourth quarter.”

Audi says its current measures are working but must be stepped up because of the competitive pressure.