BERLIN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Volkswagen Group recorded a slight increase in global sales and has delivered 6.24 million vehicles worldwide in 2018, the German car manufacturer announced on Thursday.
According to Volkswagen, market development in South America (+13.1 percent), the United States (+4.2 percent) and Europe (+3.6 percent) had "offset considerable economic uncertainty" in China, Argentina and Mexico, resulting in stagnating growth of 0.2 percent.
With 3.1 million vehicles sold, China alone accounted for nearly half of total deliveries in 2018 but sales in Volkswagen's largest single market decreased by 2.1 percent.
This year will be "another year of enormous challenges" Volkswagen COO Ralf Brandstaetter said, adding that Volkswagen would be focusing on "volume growth" as well as "earnings performance" in the future.
Volkswagen's luxury brand Audi announced 1.81 million automobiles sold in 2018, 3.5 percent less than a year ago despite a boost by a growing business in China where the Ingolstadt-based carmaker closed the year with a new record figure of 663,049 automobiles sold, increasing by 10.9 percent.
Porsche managed to end the year with a "new peak" in deliveries, the sports car manufacturer announced on Thursday. Volkswagen's sports brand sold 256,255 cars in 2018, up 4 percent compared to the previous year, Porsche announced.
Following the announcements, the price of Volkswagen shares remained relatively unchanged at around 145 euros (167 U.S. dollars) at the end of the trading day. In early 2018, the DAX listed company had reached a 4-year high at around 185 euros.
