VW brand sales in China rose 13% in July
Volkswagen-brand sales in China rose nearly 13 percent year-on-year to 139,000 units in July, preserving its status as China's top-selling brand.
For the first seven months, VW-brand sales rose 12.9 percent to 991,800 units in China, the German automaker's largest global market.
So far, Volkswagen sales have outpaced the market in 2011. In the first seven months, industry sales of light vehicles in China rose about 3 percent, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
VW sales have remained fairly strong despite a recent slowdown in China's market. Sales of mass-market brands softened after the central government ended its scrappage subsidy and tax breaks for small cars last December.
VW Group's other two major brands in China -- Skoda and Audi -- also did well in July. Skoda, the German automaker's Czech subsidiary, said its sales increased 15 percent last month to 17,800 units.
Skoda, a relative newcomer to China, has grown rapidly since the brand was introduced in 2007. The company builds and sells the Octavia, Fabia, Yeti and Superb in China.
Meanwhile, Audi sales jumped 35 percent in July to 27,676 units, reflecting strong demand for its three locally built models, the extended wheelbase versions of the Audi A4, A6 and Q5.
Audi remains China's largest luxury brand, despite strong challenges from BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz.
