Bumper year put VW on track to be world’s largest car maker, says CEO
VW sold a record number of cars in 2017 but the group is facing a growing challenge from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, which has also laid claim to the top spot
Frankfurt am Main — Germany’s Volkswagen (VW) said on Wednesday it sold a record number of vehicles in 2017, putting it on track to hold on to the title of world’s largest car maker two years after its "dieselgate" emissions scandal. A total of 10.74-million vehicles from VW or its subsidiaries ranging from Porsche and Audi to Skoda and Seat, rolled out of dealerships in 2017 — an increase of 4.3% over the previous year, the carmaker said. "We are grateful to our customers for the trust these figures reflect," CEO Matthias Mueller said in a statement. VW’s sales look likely to outstrip Japanese rival Toyota’s, whose annual figure for 2017 is expected to stand at about 10.35-million units. Nevertheless, the group is still facing a growing challenge from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, which also laid claim to the top spot on Wednesday. Its chief, Carlos Ghosn, told the French national assembly that, excluding trucks, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi sold 10.6-million vehicles worldw...
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