Is Volkswagen's Strategy Actually Paying Off? VW Is Off To Its Best Start...EVER!

Volkswagen Group said Friday that it has set a new sales record for January, with global deliveries increasing 10% over the same period in 2017.

"That is the best start to the year in the history of the Volkswagen Group," sales chief Fred Kappler said in a statement. "There was significant growth in all regions."

The sales boom is down to two main factors: China, and the SUV.

China is already the automaker's largest market, with more than 4 million cars sold in 2017...

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TomM - 2/16/2018 4:57:08 PM

+3 Boost

How much were sales DOWN last year from their highest levels over the last 3 years? Since sales were lower - a 10% gain may be meaningless.

With Japanese producers severely limited in the Chinese Market - It is no wonder that VW and GM are selling record numbers of cars there. THere is a real higher class level of people there who actually can afford to buy a car - and since their options in other things are still limited (Like housing) - they may even have more available that you would normally think. The biggest thing you see - however - it many of these have drivers - which is why bigger cars are selling well there - as well as the reason why Buicks do so well there too.

malba2367 - 2/16/2018 5:30:50 PM

+1 Boost

VW's core models are very good (Golf, Passat, Tiguan, Touareg). These models are much better than the competition and perfect for people who want a car nicer than American/Asian makes but are not ready to step up to the luxury makes. In the US, VW has decided to move downmarket and try to compete with the asians. This has largely been unsuccessful as they can not match the asians in reliability and they had to strip all the premium elements of their vehicles to compete on price.

cidflekken - 2/16/2018 6:08:22 PM

+1 Boost

It's kind of bizarre how much the Chinese market is mentioned. I guess I find it so odd because to me, the Chinese market is like the alternate universe to the rest of the world. Sometimes I feel like their tastes and preferences are just so backwards, and not just in cars. I always remind myself that this is the country that sells bleached garlic, plastic pellets in rice, puts "organic" labels on non-organic, pesticide-treated foods, and so much more. Not to mention they bought 4 million VWs and 1 million Buicks.

MDarringer - 2/16/2018 8:17:25 PM

0 Boost

I'd rather have a Phideon for an Avalon price than an Arteon for an A4 price.

t_bone - 2/16/2018 9:41:01 PM

+4 Boost

Funny that the article had a Microbus video at the top. The electric one, of course, so they have more excuses to delay it and while pretending they're serious.

TheSteve - 2/17/2018 3:19:49 PM

+3 Boost

We must remember that VW is still trying to recover from their post-Dieselgate crash in 2015. In early-2015, VOW3.F was trading at about 253. By Q3 2015, it crashed to around 100 (losing 60% of its value). It last traded at 167.60, well-short (34% down) of that early-2015 peak.

When you find yourself in a very deep hole, you have to climb a long way just to get to ground-level.