The Volkswagen Group sold 10.3 million vehicles in 2016, up 3.8% from the previous year, which means there’s a new leader in terms of global sales. Toyota is second, GM third, and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance a very close fourth.
This growth is mainly attributable to the Asian-Pacific (9.7%) and European (4%) markets, especially during the final month of 2016. Sales in North America only rose 0.8%, while those in South America fell a massive 24.6%.
"2016 was a very challenging year for us. We made strides in resolving and overcoming the diesel crisis and at the same time initiated a fundamental change process with ‘Together – Strategy 2025' to get Volkswagen ready for the future of mobility,” said CEO Matthias Müller.
In 2017, the Volkswagen Group will be intensifying its efforts in the major technological fields of the future, such as electric and autonomous vehicles. A new brand called MOIA was also launched in December for the purpose of redefining mobility for people living in urban areas. This independent Berlin-based firm does not see itself as an automaker, but rather focuses on the in-house development of IT-based on-demand offerings such as ride-hailing and pooling services.
Back to products, nearly 60 new vehicles will be put on the road during the coming year by the Group’s 12 different brands (Volkswagen passenger cars, Volkswagen commercial vehicles, Audi, Porsche, SKODA, SEAT, Bentley, etc.)
Out here, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the two latest additions to the Golf family including the Golf Alltrack and the second generation of the all-electric e-Golf, as well as the reinvented Tiguan with an extended wheelbase and its big brother, the all-new Volkswagen Atlas.
Things look promising indeed!