VW Records 1.8 Million Vehicles in First Half of 2007

VW Records 1.8 Million Vehicles in First Half of 2007
by RAIN STOCKTON


German automaker Volkswagen delivered 1.8 million vehicles from January to June of this year to customers around the world. Such figure is a 7.4 percent more than in the same period last year. The Middle East market experienced a sales increase of a paused 32 percent compared to last year.

The Touareg confirms that is has its special position as the most popular Volkswagen car in the Middle East region with 33 percent of Volkswagen’s total sales for the first half of 2007 and a 14 percent increase of sales in the first half of 2007 as compared to the same period in 2006 in the region.

Hans-Dieter Keller, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East stated that they are witnessing a significant growth in the region because of their attractive and increasingly unique model range. He explained that the Touareg is their bestseller in the region and the launch of the new generation Touareg recently has lifted their sales quite significantly for the first six months of 2007. He also said that the launch of Volkswagen’s new coupe-convertible, the Eos, and the introduction to the Jetta 2.5 liter earlier this year has also played roles to this growth. He boasted that aside from their excellent model range, the professional market coverage by their partners has been vital to their success.

All in all, the Volkswagen Group delivered 3.09 million vehicles to customers worldwide in the first six months of 2007. This figure is an all-time sales record for the company for the first half of the year. This conforms to a 7.8 percent increase over the same period last year. From January through June 2007, group deliveries in Europe increased by 3.7 percent to 1.86 million vehicles, 1.62 million of which went to Western Europe, which reflects a 1.3 percent increase. The 238,000 vehicles sold in Central and Eastern Europe marked a hike of 22.8 percent.

The Volkswagen Group sold as much as 502,000 vehicles in the Asian-Pacific region; it is actually 20.9 percent more than in the first half of last year. In China alone, the deliveries increased by 24.6 percent to 431,000 vehicles.

Sales significantly developed in the first half of the year on the American continents as well. The Group’s deliveries to customers in South America hiked by 27.7 percent resulting to 339,000 delivered cars. Two hundred sixty thousand (260,000) of which went to Brazil, generating a 28.6 percent growth. In North America, the sale of 263,000 vehicles produced an increase of 3.1 percent, thereby registering U.S sales with 2.8 percent growth having 163,000 vehicles.

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