VW brand sales up 17 percent globally last month

photo This aerial photo shows the Volkswagen plant at Enterprise South.

The Volkswagen brand began the year with a 17.4 percent hike in worldwide sales over a year ago, led by growth in North America and China, the company reported today.

Total sales hit 491,900 vehicles in January in spite of continued weakness in Europe, the German automaker said in a news release.

Sales in North America were up 10.6 percent to 43,800 vehicles in January over the same month in 2012. Of that, 29,000 vehicles were sold in the United States, the automaker reported, up 6.7 percent.

The brand reported a 43.7 percent increase in January in the Asia-Pacific region, of which 235,000 units were delivered in China.

Upcoming Events