Despite slow November, VW sales continue their upswing

It has been a year since Volkswagen's sales turned around in earnest. Just 12 months ago, the automaker began to see the Dieselgate scandal receding in its rearview as sales started trending upward. Now, after a year of strong sales, VW has moved on.

As the year rapidly winds down, Volkswagen seems to have shaken off the last effects of Dieselgate. Sales for the year through November are up 8.3 percent, compared to 2016. At the height of the emissions scandal, VW saw its sales dip. Now, however, the automaker is firmly entrenched as the world’s largest carmaker. Indeed, VW’s turn in its sales fortunes was last November.

Led by SUVs, VW has delivered over 309,000 vehicles

For the year, VW delivered a total of 309,395 vehicles. For the month, though, sales were off a bit – 1.6 percent, compared to 2016. VW sold a total of 29,207 cars in November.

VW has had a significant change in sales strategy as they are reaching for more of the profitable SUV market. Since the introduction of the Atlas last June and the official launch of the restyled Tiguan in July, VW has been moving steadily toward the family-friendly SUV market. The change in course has had a profound effect on VW’s sales and marketing.

In November, SUVs made up more than 42 percent of total VW brand volume. Since their introductions, Atlas and Tiguan have established themselves as competitive marques. For example, VW delivered 5,154 Atlases; the 2018 Tiguan accounted for 5,221 deliveries.

Crossovers continue strong performance

Both crossovers showed steady month-to-month growth in their respective market segments. Atlas is a three-row, full-sized crossover while Tiguan is a mid-sized two- to three-row crossover. Tiguan is bigger than its predecessor as it rides on a wheelbase that is more than 10 inches longer.

Here’s a look at VW sales so far:

November 2017 Sales
Model Nov. 17 Nov. 16 Yr Yr % Change Nov. 17 YTD Nov. 16 YTD Yr/Yr % Change
Golf 783 1,340 -41.6 % 12,777 11,894 7.4%
GTI 1,754 2,21 -20.8% 20,574 21,157 -2.8%
Golf R 14 449 -96.9% 2,700 3,947 -31.6%
e-Golf 289 305 -5.2% 3,191 3,494 -8.7%
Golf SportWagen 1,436 2,216 -33.9% 25,207 12,227 106.2%
Total Golf Familly 4,276 6,484 -34.1 64,449 52,719 22.3%
Jetta Sedan 8,362 10,212 -18.1% 108,575 108,023 0.5%
Jetta SportWagen (Now Golf SportWagen) N/A N/A N/A N/A 5 -120.0%
Total Jetta 8,362 10,212 -18.1% 108,574 108,028 0.5%
Beetle Coupe 684 915 -25.2% 8,045 8,738 -7.9%
Beetle Convertible 382 488 -21.7% 6,286 5,333 17.9%
Total Beetle 1,066 1,403 -24.0% 14,331 14,074 1.8%
Eos* N /A N/A N/A 1 387 -99.7%
Passat 3,140 6,441 -51.2% 57,707 65,761 -12.2%
CC 61 268 -77.2 1,301 2,863 -54.6%
Tiguan (LTD) 1,726 4,516 -61.8% 23,669 38,063 -37.8%
2018 Tiguan 5,221 N/A N/A 15,253 N/A N/A
Touareg 201 348 -42.2% 3,061 3,827 -20.0
Atlas 5,154 N/A N/A 21,049 N/A N/A

Total 29,207 29,672 -1.6 309,395 285,719 8.29%

Source: Volkswagen