The new year seems to be coming along rather well for the German car manufacturer Volkswagen as it has now become the second largest car manufacturer in the world. Taking over the title from its United States based rival General Motors, Volkswagen’s sales figures have now lead it to stand second to Japanese giant Toyota. The German group said that it sold a total of 9.73 million vehicles in 2013. A spokesman elucidated that the figure covers all Volkswagen brands, including truck makers MAN and Scania. He said, “These are the definitive of all our brands. They are comparable with our rivals, who also include heavy trucks."
And while Toyota sold 9.98 million vehicles last year, General Motors, on the other hand, managed to reach a total sales figure of 9.71 million units. Volkswagen’s recent sales growth can be attributed to the increasing demand of its vehicles in China, where the German auto major outdid General Motors for the first time in nine years. Other than that, the company has also benefitted from the growth of its luxury brands Audi and Porsche.
The Volkswagen group includes a total of 12 brands, including Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, VW Commercial Vehicles, Ducati, MAN and Scania. And going by how well the company seems to be doing, analysts believe that the group may achieve its long-term target of annual sales of more than 10 million vehicles well ahead of its 2018 target.
