Audi cuts spare-part prices in China amid anti-monopoly probe

'Localization measures'

If Chinese regulators determine that there are anti-competitive practices in the car industry, it's not clear whether the price cuts foreign automakers are making could help them avoid penalties.

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A separate statement on Audi's China website quoted an NDRC official as saying the regulator "welcomes global brands such as Audi to voluntarily make corrective measures, and hope other companies can also review their operations and actively take measures to comply with the Chinese law."

Audi said that localization measures and economies of scale allow it to "adjust" the prices for spare parts in China and pass these "cost advantages" onto customers.

Audi did not provide details of the price cuts, but said they reduce the total cost of spare parts for an Audi A6L by about 30 percent.

Foreign automakers have been frequently criticized by local media for charging Chinese customers more than those in other markets pay.

Audi, Subaru and Jaguar Land Rover were singled out in a December report by China's state television that accused foreign carmakers of over-charging in the after-sales market where services and spare parts are sold.