Volkswagen Group reports 60 per cent sales growth in China

Volkswagen Group China, along with its two joint ventures Shanghai Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen, announced today that it had delivered 457,259 cars in the first quarter of 2010, representing more than 60.9 per cent growth compared to Q1 2009 sales of 284,146, to customers in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong.

First quarter sales of Volkswagen brand vehicles reached 362,874 units (Q1/2009: 235,772 up 53.9 per cent), including 10,610 imported vehicles. Audi delivered 51,449 vehicles to customers (Q1/2009: 29,010 up 77.3 per cent), including 7,507 imported units. Meanwhile, Škoda sold 42,707 (Q1/2009: 19,248 up 121.9 per cent) cars, Bentley 185, and Lamborghini 44.

"We have adjusted our previous forecast and now estimate even higher total passenger car market growth in China in 2010," said Dr Winfried Vahland,  president and CEO of Volkswagen Group China. "We will speed up our product offensive and focus especially on customer satisfaction in the coming months.''
 
Strong sales performance in March 2010 was particularly significant for Volkswagen Group's locally producing brands: Volkswagen delivered 133,425 cars ( up 43.5 per cent), Audi 19,543 cars (up 64.9 per cent) and Škoda 16,033 cars (up 110.7 per cent).

''The Chinese auto market maintained its impressive momentum of swift growth, benefiting from a strong economic recovery and a renewed incentive policy on the vehicle purchasing tax,'' he said.

Dr Vahland said, ''The Volkswagen Group's strong performance in the first quarter of 2010 has exceeded our expectations. Together with our joint ventures, we will introduce and launch more new models than ever before in China this year.

As we look towards Auto China 2010 in Beijing and Word Expo 2010 in Shanghai, we are pushing ahead with our vision for future powertrain technologies, which Volkswagen Group China will soon make available to everyone.''

Volkswagen, Audi and Škoda poised for new sales record
Two new models were launched in March: the urban SUV Volkswagen Tiguan and the first mass produced sports car in China, Volkswagen Golf GTI.