VW sales surge 13% as China leads the way

Volkswagen has announced record full-year sales as it continues to close in on larger rivals General Motors and Toyota.

Europe’s biggest carmaker said yesterday that it had sold some 5.1 million vehicles worldwide last year, up 13.1 per cent on 2010. Europe and China were its biggest markets, with about 1.7 million cars sold in each.

Smaller markets saw the most dramatic increases, with a 151 per cent surge in India to 76,100 units and a doubling of sales in Russia to 118,000.

VW’s year-end numbers follow robust sales figures from a string of manufacturers including Bentley and Mercedes.

Experts have warned of a slowdown as consumers in key Western markets tighten their belts. VW, which has a sales goal of ten million vehicles in 2018, said conditions would be challenging in 2012.

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