As Chinese auto sales slow, Volkswagen remains atop the rankings there: ahead of GM.
While sales of the Volkswagen brand have taken a beating in a several corners of the globe, VW sales have increased in China and helped the maker hang on to its edge over General Motors in the battle for leadership in the soft Chinese market.
Overall, the Volkswagen passenger cars brand, which doesn’t include the maker’s other brands, such as Audi, Porsche and Seat, has delivered 5.34 million vehicles to customers from January to November this year. VW sales, however, dropped 2.4% during November despite stronger sales in China.
“Developments in world markets, which are in some cases tense, and their effects on the Volkswagen passenger pars brand will continue until the end of the year,” said Jürgen Stackmann, the executive in charge of Volkswagen sales.
In North America, deliveries were especially affected by the decline in the United States. Here, deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand decreased by about a quarter in November, especially as a result of the sales stop for diesel models, according to Stackmann.
The challenging economic developments in Brazil continue to dominate the situation in South America: 431,100 vehicles were handed over to new customers in the period to November, including 314,800 in Brazil.
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In November, deliveries by the VW brand in the Western Europe region rose by a total of 2.4%. The brand continued its growth in Germany, Italy and Spain, Stackmann said. But the brand’s overall results in Europe were dominated by deliveries in Russia, which once again fell. Sales in eastern and Central Europe also fell.
“On a cumulative basis, we are now 4.5% below the figure for the previous year,” he said. “In view of the situation of the brand, which is currently challenging, I do not expect that we will be able to compensate for this fall in the remaining days of the year.”
However, in China, where growth in new-car sales have slowed dramatically, deliveries once again grew in November by 8.6%, leaving Volkswagen as the most popular brand in the Chinese market.
In China, its largest single market, the brand once again grew deliveries in November significantly by 8.6%. In the entire Asia-Pacific region, the brand delivered 2.58 million units from January to November.
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Overall, from January to November, the Volkswagen Group handed over 9.1 million vehicles to customers, including 833,700 units in November. “The Volkswagen Group and its brands are currently experiencing challenging times,” said Matthias Müller, VW’s new chairman said.
“We are shouldering what is a very considerable challenge for the Group. At the same time, we are pleased that our customers are remaining loyal to us, especially in this situation, and continue to place their trust in us. This trust is our most important asset.”
For example, economic conditions in Brazil and Russia also had an impact on deliveries by the Group. In contrast, the Group was able to grow deliveries in Europe and especially China, where there was a significant increase.
In contrast, Müller said the Group was again able to record growth in the Asia-Pacific region. This increase was mainly due to a further rise in deliveries in China, the largest single market, where the Group delivered 5.5% more vehicles in November.
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For the year, the VW Group’s sales across China have declined 3.6% during the first 11 months of 2015 to 3,319,400, while GM’s total sales have risen 4.1% so far this year to 3,166,791 units.