Audi A7, A8 to account for 10,000 annual sales

Audi's newest premium sedans - the 2011 A8 and all-new A7 four-door coupe - have yet to hit the United States market, but the German automaker is already calling for combined sales to top the 10,000 unit mark.

Speaking with Automotive News, Audi President Johan de Nysschen revealed the company is eyeing about 10,000 combined U.S. sales for the A8 and A7 sedans. Those sales should be split about 50/50 between both models.

Audi's all-new 2011 A8 flagship sedan should hit the U.S. market in November 2010 with a price tag starting at about $80,000. The A8 - which was recently unveiled - sports a much more conservative look than the coupe-like A7, which should help to retain the A8's current clientele.

"We clearly take lower levels of risk with our flagship," de Nysschen told Automotive News. "Customers of this upper segment are conservative, and if you move the design forward too rapidly, you get push back." Sales of Audi's flagship sedan hit a high of 5,943 units in 2004.

The all-new A7 will hit the market in 2011 and is expected to account for about 5,000 annual sales. Audi has yet to reveal the A7 in production form, but promises the road-going version "will be the car you saw in concept" at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The A7 will slot beneath the A8 in Audi's U.S. lineup.