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VW's US sales slow down

March 1, 2013

German carmaker Volkswagen says its car sales in the US have grown further over the past four months. But the group had to admit the increase was nowhere near the monthly jumps seen in the past.

https://p.dw.com/p/17p07
Workers inspect the undercarriage of a new Passat inside the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga AP Photo/Billy Weeks
Image: AP

Auto maker Volkswagen of Germany conceded on Friday that huge its huge monthly sales jumps on the US market came to a halt in February.

The Wolfsburg-based company, which is aiming to become the world's largest carmaker in terms of units sold annually, reported that its revenue in the US market last month increased by 3 percent compared with January results. While that would be good news for many smaller, struggling auto makers the world over, it spelt the end of a year-long sales rally for VW.

Throughout 2012, the group's sales in the US jumped by a staggering 35 percent year-on-year.

Pent-up demand

VW's US division chief Jonathan Browning made a point of saying that although February's increase was only slight, it marked VW's 30th consecutive monthly rise in the US. He added, though, that its former bestsellers - Jetta and Passat - did not leave showrooms as often as in the previous months.

VW to Announce Record Profits

German luxury auto maker Audi sold far fewer units than VW, but posted a 28-percent surge in US sales in February, with its Q4 mid-range model proving the biggest hit.

Despite rising gas prices and tax increases, GM sales rose by 7 percent last month, while Ford's even surged by 9 percent. General Motor's sales were the best since February 2008, led by the Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a February increase of 29 percent.

hg/ipj (dpa, AP)