Summary: VW's varying performances in China, Europe and the US

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - Despite experiencing success in the China market this year, VW Group has seen its sales fall in Europe and the US.

According to the latest statistics compiled by Gasgoo.com (Chinese), VW sold 2.02 million passenger automobiles in China over the first eight months of this year, representing year-on-year growth of 19.2 percent. This figure, which marks a new record for the manufacturer, means that it will be relatively easy for VW to fulfill its target of three million sales for the year. VW currently holds a 20 percent stake in the Chinese passenger automobile market.

By comparison, VW's performances in Europe and the US have been far from ideal. In Europe, VW, alongside other manufacturers, have seen their sales fall due to the ongoing Eurozone economic crisis. According to statistics from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, VW sold a total of 2.03 million automobiles in the continent from January to August, 4.8 percent less than its total sales volume from a year ago. Despite seeing its sales fall, VW's negative growth rate was still under the negative 5.2 percent industry average. On the other hand, VW's market share in the continent grew .1 percent.

Looking at monthly figures, VW experienced negative sales growth every month this year except April and July. In August alone the manufacturer suffered negative sales growth of 11.3 percent. VW is not the only manufacturer seeing its sales volume in the region fall, with Peugeot Citroën also reporting negative growth. Many analysts concur that it will be hard for VW or any automobile manufacturer achieve positive growth in the continent in the near future.

The situation in the US is slightly better, with VW's passenger automobile sales for the first three quarters of the year totaling 463,100 units. However, that figure represents year-on-year growth of only 2.7 percent, failing to meet or surpass the industry average growth rate of 8.1 percent. A major factor behind VW's lackluster performance are falling sales of VW brand passenger cars. While sales of other VW Group brands grew, VW car sales have fallen 2.6 percent so far this year.

Sales of VWs began falling this April, which marked the first month in over two years that VW sales of the brand fell. Ever since then, VW sales have fallen, with sales in September a full 12.2 percent less than figures reported a year ago.