Germany’s Volkswagen suffered a slight dip in sales at the beginning of 2021 as demand varied starkly depending on the region, the carmaker reported on Friday.
In January, the VW Group sold 824,800 vehicles across its brands, representing a 1.4-per-cent year-on-year decline.
Some 419,200 of those went to China, by far the automaker’s most crucial market. That was a sharp rise of 22 per cent compared to last year, the company said.
Demand in China had ebbed in January 2020 as the country battled the coronavirus pandemic over the Chinese New Year period.
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In Western Europe, sales plunged by 28 per cent to 200,000, as many European countries still struggle to bring infection rates under control. Lockdowns have forced many dealers there to close their doors.
Volkswagen’s core passenger cars brand inched up in global sales by 0.1 per cent to 485,000. Audi saw a 5.7-per-cent boost, while Porsche surged by 22.8 per cent.
Seat, Skoda, and VW’s commercial vehicles, on the other hand, sustained sales losses.
Truck series belonging to the Traton group – consisting of MAN and Scania – started the year with a sales plus, which was particularly strong for MAN at 32.4 per cent.(dpa/NAN)
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