As Europe’s biggest car manufacturer, Volkswagen was amongst those affected, and its growth figures slowed dramatically. The motoring behemoth had to fight tooth and nail to maintain its supremacy, and fight it undoubtedly did.
Yet even for this giant, it has been hard to reach the dizzying heights of their pre-2008 success – until April 2016. Now, it looks like everything is about to change for the better. With growth once more beginning to soar, we look at what’s ahead for Volkswagen…
An Impressive Growth
April 2016 was a great month for car manufacturers across Europe, and Volkswagen was right there with them to ride the wave of success. With car sales returning to growth for the first time since September 2015, they booked an extraordinary return to form, with an increase of 5.4 per cent.
This mirrored the trend seen across much of the continent, with new passenger car registrations in the European Union rising by an astonishing 9 per cent over the course of the year. With 1.3 million vehicles recorded, this marks the most impressive performance since April 2008.
Carmakers across the board contributed to these figures, with the Brussels based Association of European Carmakers proving eager to share this record result with the rest of the world.
The Rise in Volkswagen Sales
Volkswagen is Europe’s biggest car manufacturer, and with April’s growth figures in mind, it looks clear that it’s set to maintain its place on the top spot.
Overall sales rose a fantastic 5.4 per cent over a 12-month period, with sales up 2.7 per cent in April alone. The Audi and Porsche brands that shelter beneath its umbrella recorded more impressive figures yet, with growth in the double digits for each.
This means that the group’s overall market share sits at a steady 25.2 per cent.
A Full House for Europe
The growth in Volkswagen sales and the motoring industry can be seen across the board in Europe, with all five of its major economies relaying sales increases. The rise in registrations was greatest in Spain, coming in at 21.2 per cent, with Italy, Germany, France, and the UK posting scores of 11.5 per cent, 8.4 per cent, 7.1 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
In a statement released by the ACEA, the body said that: “The EU passenger car market posted strong results again, marking the 32nd consecutive month of growth. This is the highest result in volume terms since April 2008, just before the economic crisis hit the automotive industry.”
With Volkswagen and its peers already in the process of offering retail incentives, and set to launch an array of new and exciting products for 2016, it seems that Europe and its biggest car manufacturer are set to take the world by storm once more.
