FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) _ Car maker Audi AG, the luxury arm of Volkswagen AG, said Thursday that demand for its A3 and A6 models helped push up sales in June and throughout the year's first half.

The Ingolstadt-based company said it sold 80,000 vehicles worldwide in June, up 2.7 per cent from the 77,828 sold a year earlier.

For the first six months, sales reached 463,500 _ up 9.8 per cent from the 421,965 sold in the first six months of 2005.

``Our goal for 2006 is to exceed the record sales seen in 2005 by another 50,000 vehicles,'' reaching a total of about 880,000, chief executive Martin Winterkorn said.

Last year, the company sold 829,000 vehicles.

Audi said the increase in sales was propelled by demand for its A3 Sportback and A6 models, along with its A8. Sales of its Q7 sport utility vehicle also increased, with 16,800 sold since it was released in Europe in March.

The company said its sales surged most strongly in China, where 38,838 cars were sold in the first six months, compared with 19,996 a year earlier.

In the United States, six-month sales rose 7.3 per cent to 40,455. In Germany, sales rose by just 1.1 per cent, with 127,498 sold.