BERLIN/FRANKFURT: Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen is bracing for challenging markets as it posted record 2013 sales with demand from China and North America more than offsetting declining deliveries in core European markets.
“Even though the situation in Europe would appear to be stabilizing, economic uncertainty will continue and the challenges we will be facing on markets will remain virtually unchanged,” VW sales chief Christian Klingler said. “As far as the current year is concerned, we expect market developments on a level similar to 2013,” he added.
December sales of passenger cars, vans and sport-utility vehicles across the multi-brand group rose 6.3 percent to 833,200 compared with 784,100 a year ago, VW said. 2013 deliveries were up almost 5 percent at a record 9.7 million vehicles, ranging from small city cars to heavy trucks.
VW has pledged to surpass Toyota and General Motors as the world’s No. 1 carmaker no later than 2018, aiming to boost annual deliveries to at least 10 million cars. reuters
