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Volkswagen's luxury car brands post record sales | Volkswagen's luxury car brands post record sales |
(35 minutes later) | |
Volkswagen's luxury brands - Porsche, Audi and Bentley - have posted record sales helped by new model launches and a recovery in the global car market. | Volkswagen's luxury brands - Porsche, Audi and Bentley - have posted record sales helped by new model launches and a recovery in the global car market. |
Porsche's deliveries jumped 15%, Audi's 8.3% and Bentley posted a growth of 19% in 2013, from a year earlier. | Porsche's deliveries jumped 15%, Audi's 8.3% and Bentley posted a growth of 19% in 2013, from a year earlier. |
Demand for luxury cars has been growing in emerging markets such as China and India amid rising income levels. | Demand for luxury cars has been growing in emerging markets such as China and India amid rising income levels. |
Carmakers have also benefited from a recovery in demand from the US, one of the biggest markets for luxury cars. | Carmakers have also benefited from a recovery in demand from the US, one of the biggest markets for luxury cars. |
Audi's sales jumped 13.5% in the US during the period, from a year ago, while Porsche saw a growth of 21%. Bentley deliveries in the US rose 28%. | Audi's sales jumped 13.5% in the US during the period, from a year ago, while Porsche saw a growth of 21%. Bentley deliveries in the US rose 28%. |
China was the other major growth market for the firm, with both Audi and Porsche posting nearly 20% growth. | China was the other major growth market for the firm, with both Audi and Porsche posting nearly 20% growth. |
However, Bentley's sales in China declined 3% from a year ago. | However, Bentley's sales in China declined 3% from a year ago. |
'Important milestone' | 'Important milestone' |
Volkswagen has set its sights on becoming the world's biggest carmaker by 2018. | Volkswagen has set its sights on becoming the world's biggest carmaker by 2018. |
The latest figures are likely to provide a big boost to the German carmakers's ambitions. | The latest figures are likely to provide a big boost to the German carmakers's ambitions. |
Overall, Audi sold 1.57 million cars and sport-utility vehicles globally last year, Porsche sold 162,145 vehicles and Bentley's sales totalled 10,120 units. | Overall, Audi sold 1.57 million cars and sport-utility vehicles globally last year, Porsche sold 162,145 vehicles and Bentley's sales totalled 10,120 units. |
"We set an important milestone for Audi in the past year: We achieved our intermediate strategic goal of 1.5 million deliveries two years earlier than planned, and in fact comfortably exceeded it," Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, said in a statement. | "We set an important milestone for Audi in the past year: We achieved our intermediate strategic goal of 1.5 million deliveries two years earlier than planned, and in fact comfortably exceeded it," Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, said in a statement. |
"This means that in the past four years alone, Audi has attracted more than 600,000 new customers." | "This means that in the past four years alone, Audi has attracted more than 600,000 new customers." |
Global recovery | |
The numbers by Volkswagen come at a time when the global car market has been recovering from the slump seen in the years after the global financial crisis. | |
Data released on Thursday showed that car sales in China - the world's biggest car market - rose 14% in 2013, from a year ago. That compares to an annual growth rate of less than 5% seen in the previous two year. | |
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers 21.98 million vehicles were sold in China last year. | |
Industry figures released earlier this week showed that UK car sales rose to 2.26 million units in 2013 - a jump of 10.8% from the previous year. The figure was the best since 2007. | |
Analysts also expect 2013 to be the best year for US auto market since 2007, with total annual sales expected to reach nearly 15.6 million units. | |
If that figure is met, it would mark a strong recovery from 2009 when sales fell to 10.4 million during the depths of the recession. | |
Carmakers have obviously benefited from this recovery. | |
US firm Ford has already said it expects to make a profit of about $8.5bn (£5.2bn) for 2013 - making it one of the most profitable ones in its history. | |
On Thursday, the company announced that it was increasing its quarterly dividend by 25%. |
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