INGOLSTADT, GERMANY – While every major automaker reported sales declines of 20 percent or more for October, Audi of America Inc. set a new record for vehicle sales in the United States and said that its market share rose, according to www.freep.com. According to Audi, the company reached a market share of 8.6 percent within its competitive set, up from 6.2 percent 12 months ago.

The import high group is a competitive set of vehicle brands that includes Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, Saab, Volvo, Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus.

Audi’s vehicle sales in October increased 0.3 percent, to 7,443 vehicles. By comparison, competitors BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Lexus saw car sales drop 13.9 percent, 34.2 percent, 15.8 percent, and 35.2 percent, respectively for October, and all other competitors reported sales declines of at least 13.2 percent.

Audi said its October sales were helped by the recent launch of its all-new 2009 A4. Audi sold 3,784 A4’s, a 7.7 percent increase over last October.