China may replace Germany as VW's top market
Volkswagen was one of the pioneers in infiltrating the booming Chinese market, and now the automaker's early efforts are paying off handsomely. VW is planning to sell over 1 million vehicles in the land of the Great Wall in 2008, which should mean that the automaker's China sales will surpass those in Germany for the first time ever. While that may make it sound like there's a problem with VW's Germany sales, it's more a testament to a 19% market share in a country with 1.4 billion people.Volkswagen is also keeping the heat on the Chinese market, with 14 new vehicles scheduled for launch during the next two years. That's a substantially faster pace than the 11 products VW updated in the previous three years, and a big reason why sales will likely continue to rise. The automaker is turning a serious profit in China, and with products like the affordable and efficient up! on the horizon, Germany's volume automaker looks to be set up well in the worlds fastest-emerging market.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Epyx 6:00PM (8/18/2008)
Really? The vastly bigger country with about 10x the consumers and a rapidly developing economy may become a bigger market? Shocker.
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zamafir 6:58PM (8/18/2008)
considering the us has quite a bit more consumers than germany, and germany is still vw's primary market, you might want to educate yourself prior to rolling out the sarcasm.
zamafir 7:00PM (8/18/2008)
considering the us has quite a bit more consumers than germany, and germany is still vw's primary market, you might want to educate yourself prior to rolling out the sarcasm.
Epyx 10:02PM (8/18/2008)
Very true but I was simply being funny. I guess I failed but you did pick up on the sarcasm so I have that going for me ... which is nice.
zamafir 7:00PM (8/18/2008)
w00t autoblog comment system ftw
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Gary Lowe 7:01PM (8/18/2008)
The more interesting news is that Shanghai VW which manufacturers both VW and Skoda here in China produces a significantly better and more reliable car than the Mexican crap that the US market receives. The same cannot be said of the schlock and re-branded Daewoos that GM/Buick try to offload here.
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Juan Adrian Garcia 8:46PM (8/18/2008)
Yeah humn, dear Detroit Three: It's not "fuel prices" what's drowning your companies, it's lack of a good bussiness plan.
VW's success is proof.
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FSM 10:10PM (8/18/2008)
I bet china will get Scirrocco's, Diesel hybrid Golfs, and flying cars. Meanwhile the US won't.
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Vic Rauter 6:22AM (8/19/2008)
I'm not suprised. Here in Beijing for the Olympics and VW is the official car of the games.
They are everywhere.
Spent nearly everyday in a VW Touran. It would be perfect for North America but we can't get it.
Take back the Beetle and give us Touran.
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