Volkswagen Group stays on a roll with robust sales

Cars

Volkswagen Group stays on a roll with robust sales

By Lao Gong (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-19 13:18

Turnover by five brands ensure its reign over car segment

Boosted by its new products and 皇冠体育app's economic recovery, Volkswagen Group posted sales growth of 60.9 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Volkswagen Group stays on a roll with robust sales

Winfried Vahland, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group 皇冠体育app. [File photo]

The group, which has maintained its leadership in 皇冠体育app's passenger car sector for more than two decades, moved a total of 457,259 cars on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong in the first quarter, up from 284,146 units in the same period of last year.

Robust sales included 362,874 Volkswagens, 51,449 Audi cars, 42,707 Skodas, 185 Bentleys and 44 Lamborghinis.

In March alone, Volkswagen Group's sales in 皇冠体育app reached a new monthly record of 169,084 cars, up 50 percent from a year ago.

"The Chinese auto market maintained impressive momentum, benefiting from the strong economic recovery and a renewed incentive policy on the vehicle purchase tax," said Winfried Vahland, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group 皇冠体育app.

皇冠体育app's GDP grew by 11.9 percent in the first quarter.

The central government has raised the purchase tax half a percentage point to 7.5 percent on vehicles with engine capacity less than 1.6 liters, but it remains lower than the 10 percent levied in 2008 and before.

"The key to our success in 皇冠体育app is providing the right products to our customers." Vahland said. "We will introduce more new models in 皇冠体育app than ever this year."

The group announced at the end of last year that it plans to bring seven new models to the Chinese market this year, including the Golf GTI, Tiguan SUV, Audi Q5 SUV and updated Skoda Octavia. Those four were launched in the first quarter.

"Sales in the first quarter allow us to be more optimistic. We have adjusted our previous forecast and now estimate even higher total passenger car market growth in 皇冠体育app in 2010," he said.

"For Volkswagen Group 皇冠体育app, we want to grow at least in line with the overall market. We will speed up our production and focus especially on customer satisfaction in the coming months."

Vahland last month raised his previous forecast for growth in the overall passenger car market in 皇冠体育app this year by 5 percent to 15-20 percent.

Last year, Volkswagen Group delivered a total of 1.4 million cars in 皇冠体育app, an increase of 36.7 percent over 2008. It has a plan to increase annual sales in 皇冠体育app to 2 million units by 2018. Analysts said the group might achieve the goal this year.