U.S. VW Sales in April Drop 8.4 Percent
Volkswagen sales are down 10.4 percent one-third of the way through the year; VW's bright spots include the Passat, Jetta, and TDI Clean Diesel model lineup.
The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel was one of the automaker’s bright spots in April
Volkswagen has announced their April sales figures and, to be frank, they’re not terribly pretty. VW Sales in April totaled 30,831, down 8.4 percent year-to-date and bringing the automaker’s U.S. sales down 10.4 percent year-to-date. Though Volkswagen has largely failed to find its footing in America in 2014, there are a bright spots from which some optimism can be drawn.
“April was a strong month for TDI Clean Diesels and we are thrilled to see more consumers lured by the fuel economy and range benefits these engines provide, said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America. “As we move through the year we are looking forward to the introduction of even more fuel efficient Clean Diesel engines, and importantly, the launch of the all-new Golf coming this summer.”
The VW Passat TDI accounted for 42 percent of all Passat models sold in April.
Among the positives is the performance of the Passat, which accounted for nearly a third of all of Volkswagen’s sales in April. The Passat moved 9,315 units for a 2.7 percent year-over-year increase.
Also accounting for nearly a third of all VW sales in April were TDI® Clean Diesel models. 3,923 of the Passats sold were TDI models, accounting for 42 percent of all sales for the model.
The Jetta Sedan moved 10,858 units, and the Jetta SportWagen moved 2,076 models, making the Jetta range Volkswagen’s best-seller in the U.S. Other models that saw sales success in April include the Touareg, whose sales increased 3.3 percent year-over-year, and the Routan, whose 231 unit month is a 7,600 percent increase over April 2013. Seriously. 7,600 percent.
Volkswagen is holding out hope that the summer launches of the 2015 Golf and GTI models will provide the spark needed to stay competitive in the United States.
What do you think: should Volkswagen be worried about how they’re faring in America?
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