Volkswagen surges back

Embattled Volkswagen surged back to sell more than half a million vehicles around the world in January, jumping 7.1 percent over last year’s Dieselgate-hit figures.

Its sales jumped more than 12 per cent in its home market, partly due to a buyback scheme to cover off the worst of its Dieselgate shenanigans (laughingly described as the Environmental Incentive by Volkswagen), to 43,300 cars, vans and SUVs.

But the core of Volkswagen's global strength remains China, which delivered it 296,900 sales in the month, or more than 55 per cent of its total sales, and 9.7 per cent growth.

Volkswagen continued to gain an SUV foothold in the Middle Kingdom, with 31,100 Tiguans and 11,900 Teramont (Atlas) models sold in January.

“Volkswagen Passenger Cars has started the new year with considerable momentum,” said Volkswagen’s board member for sales, Jürgen Stackmann.

“I am pleased that we have recorded significant growth of 12.3 per cent in sales in Germany and were able to continue the positive development from the last quarter (of 2017).

“I am also impressed by our good start in our second home market of China.”

Volkswagen isn’t just the biggest-selling brand in China, though. By a quirk of the set-up there, it’s the two biggest-selling brands, with FAW Volkswagen (based in Beijing) heading the sales charts and SAIC Volkswagen (in Shanghai) heading SAIC GM.

It also shifted 135,500 new vehicles in Europe in January, which is a 4.9 per cent climb, partly driven by Switzerland’s astonishing 43.3 per cent jump. Russia also starred, with a 22 per cent rise, while Central and Eastern Europe fell slightly.

North America remains the constant thorn in Volkswagen hide, with its 41,700 sales just 0.8 per cent up on January, 2017, though the US took 24,700 vehicles to rise by 5.2 per cent, mostly on the back of the Tiguan (and mostly on the back of the old, cheaper Tiguan).

Things looked rosier in South America, where it drove forward by 43 per cent in Brazil and 16 per cent overall.