VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn have every reason to smile. Latest data shows that VW Group has once again inched closer towards challenging Toyota's world domination. Two years ago, Martin Winterkorn has set a challenge for the VW Group to surpass the current gargantuan of the automotive world Toyota Motor Co., by 2018. VW Group's total sales volume increased by 1.3% from the previous year. Sounds very little until you consider the fact that Toyota contracted 4.2% and Volkswagen is among the only 4 out of the top 10 car companies that bucked the negative industry trend by registering positive growth. The other companies that grew are Nissan, Honda and Hyundai-Kia.
Source : Automotive News Data Center and company sources, via Automotive News Europe.
Sales tally for Toyota is inclusive of Hino and Daihatsu subsidiary while Volkswagen includes Audi, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini.
GM's position at No.2 does not mean much anymore considering its European Opel (American Saturn) and Saab brands are being sold while Hummer has gone to the Chinese and Pontiac is already dead. It's sales tally in the subsequent years will be substantially reduced.
Volkswagen also announced today that sales in its China market (including Hong Kong), which is also VW's largest single market, jumped 22.7% from the year before. Volkswagen's subsidiary Audi is China's No.1 selling luxury brand and it registered 11% growth from 2007. Skoda jumped an even more staggering 46.2%. Volkswagen's dominance in the current world's largest automotive market have no doubt helped it close the gap with Toyota, which relied heavily on its North American market which has since tanked.
Three key Volkswagen Group executives were recently awarded the Automotive News Eurostar Award 2009.
Globally, Audi has registered 13 years of consecutive growth have since overtook BMW and Mercedes-Benz as Europe and China's leading luxury car brand. Its CEO Rupert Stadler was awarded Automotive News Europe's "Eurostars Award" for Car Division.
VW Groups's Head of Group Design Walter de' Silva was also awarded the same for Design Eurostar, largely for his work with the new Polo, said to be an almost perfect car for the current time - economical yet sophisticated enough. His work with the Audi A5 was also recognised.
VW Groups's Chief Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch also received an award for Finance Eurostar. Under his leadership, VW posted a new sales record and also its best ever operating profit.
Let us not forget also that Volkswagen also dominated this year's 2009 International Engine Of The Year Award. The 1.4-litre Twin Charger TSI engine was crowned with three awards - the Overall Engine of the Year title as well as for the Green Engine of the Year and also in the 1-litre to 1.4-litre category. Audi's 2-litre TFSI engine also bagged the award for 1.8-litre to 2.0-litre category.
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