Volkswagen sales skid 20% in UK, 25% in US
Dec 07, 2015 11:38 AM EST
New car registrations on Volkswagen vehicles in the UK during November fell drastically. Volkswagen's brands Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicle sales tumbled steeply in the wake of emissions scandal tarnishing the German auto major's image.
Volkswagen sales fell 20 percent in the UK and 25 percent in the US while it was minimal three percent in Germany.
Volkswagen recorded a 20 percent drop in sales in November in UK market and 25 percent in the US. However, Volkswagen was able to sustain sales volume as it fell modestly three percent in the home market. Volkswagen remained as the best selling brand in Germany.
The diesel emissions rigging scandal has been impacting the Volkswagen severely in the UK's automobile market.
The German automobile global major is witnessing continuous fall in its sales as slump in sales further making the situation worse for Volkswagen.
The German automobile giant is poised to face fines and legal claims valuing tens of billions of pounds, as reported by The Guardian.
Among the gainers, Vauxhall sales rose 26 percent. "Some fluctuation in monthly registration figures for individual brands is normal, with volumes subject to a number of factors including new models and large fleet deals," says a spokesperson at Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The number Volkswagen vehicles registered during November 2015 was 12,958 from 16,196 in November 2014. Referring SMMT figures, BBC reported that other brands of Volkswagen Seat fell 24 percent, Skoda 11 percent down and Audi fell four percent. Bentley sustained growth as sales rose to 88 from 73.
It's estimated that 482,000 two-liter and 85,000 six-cylinder diesel vehicles sold in the US have been fitted with emissions cheating software. Volkswagen has allocated euro 6.7 billion ($7.2 billion) to cover the cost of fixing the cars.
According to ABC News, the overall auto sales grew 3.8 percent, while Volkswagen's market share in the UK eased to 7.2 percent from 9.4 percent a year earlier. November sales data for European region is due on 15 December. Volkswagen has agreed that emission results rigging software has been installed in 11 million cars sold globally.
Audi car sales fell four percent, Seat dropped 24 percent and Skoda 11 percent during November. Since the emissions scandal came to light in mid-September, November data is the real benchmark to gauge the real impact on sales volume. After purchasing vehicles, deliveries generally take several weeks.
The car registrations rose 3.8 percent to 178,876 on year-on-year in November. Ending the continuous growth of new vehicles registrations for 43 months, the UK witnessed sales decline of 1.1 percent in October. Cheaper finance options were primarily driving the car sales.