AUDI in September delivered 136,600 vehicles worldwide, or a 13.6-percent increase compared to the same month last year, and 1,097,500 units from January to September—a 12.8-percent rise from 2011, the company said in a news release.

It credited the strong September growth in the US (26.5 percent) and China (20.5 percent). In some parts of recession-hit Europe, Audi said its sales were up 7.4 percent in September.

“This year we reached the tally of one million cars sold after just nine months—a clear evidence that we are realizing our strategic goals in the right way,” said Luca de Meo, a member of the board of management for marketing and sales at Audi AG. “We are seeing our new models succeed in the marketplace, reflecting the tastes of customers.”

Audi cited its A1 Sportback, Q3 and the A6 Avant models for the brand’s September growth in Europe.

In the US, the company said its September performance was helped in part by the new-generation A4, A5 and the Q7 full-size SUV, which saw a 94.6-percent spike in sales. Audi said it sold 100,694 cars in the US from January to September.

China also reflected the brand’s strong sales of SUVs and other full-size models, according to the carmaker, as it delivered 35,512 units in September, and 297,060 in the first nine months of the year—a 31.4-percent increase on-year. Audi said its most popular model there is the locally built A6 L, of which some 96,100 were sold.