MAN sales up 24 per cent as international commercial vehicle interest grows in six months to June
Volkswagen Group has recorded its best ever first half of vehicle sales internationally in its history, as its commercial vehicle sales grew by 3.6 per cent during the period.
Sales of MAN trucks worldwide rose 24 per cent to 65,400 in the six months to June 2018, up from the 52,700 sold the year before, while sales of Scanias were up 7.3 per cent, from 43,600 to 46,800.
In a precursor to its official first half results, set to be released on August 1, the company reported 5.5 million deliveries, up about 7.1 per cent on the first half of 2017.
Vehicle deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region grew to over 2.1 million in the first six months, up 8.9 per cent, with almost 2 million of those sold in China – where demand rose 9.2 per cent.
However, June sales fell 2.2 per cent in the Chinese market in June, due to lower tariffs on imported vehicles which came into effect on July 1, 2018.
“Group deliveries increased significantly in all core regions. Our core brands recorded strong growth in the first half year,” Volkswagen head of group sales Fred Kappler says.
“We expect deliveries in the second half of 2018 to be affected by the introduction of the new Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure standard. Some vehicles will probably be handed over to customers later than planned,” he says.
Many of the 258,850 Volkswagen commercial vehicles delivered worldwide in the first six months to June – up 3.5 per cent on the previous year – were in Europe, which accounted for 179,800 of them.
The rate of sales was up 3.8 per cent in Western Europe and 8 per cent in Germany in the first six months of 2018.
Outside Europe, increased numbers of vehicles were sold in Africa (up 29 per cent to 8,150 vehicles), in South America (up 16.5 per cent to 22,600 vehicles) and in the Asia-Pacific region (up 6 per cent to 13,300 vehicles).
But deliveries fell in the Middle East, down 20.5 per cent to 10,800 vehicles, and in Mexico, down 34.4 per cent to 3,600 vehicles – which Volkswagen put down to difficult political conditions.
Volkswagen board member Heinz-Jürgen Löw says the company is grateful for customer support during difficult times.
“We are pleased that in the first half of the year we have been able to achieve a volume of deliveries up on the already high level of last year,” he says.
Deliveries of the company’s Volkswagen Amarok were up 8.9 per cent – to 41,000 from 37,700 – in the first six months of 2018, while vehicles from the Crafter range were up 24.5 per cent to 26,800 and the T model range was up 1.5 per cent to 106,600 vehicles sold.