The year 2015 was admittedly a not-so-favorable year for Volkswagen. Many may recall the German car company being involved in a controversial emissions scandal that saw some 11 million vehicles allegedly being fitted with “cheat devices” that alters their emissions just to pass stringent tests.
Yet that was then. Today, Volkswagen seems to have overcome the mess, slowly but surely taking steps to atone for its mistakes and bring back consumer confidence. It seems to have done so, rather successfully, what with the latest report by CNN Money that shows Volkswagen taking the top spot as the world’s most patronized automaker for 2016.
VW has overtaken Toyota, with 10.3 ,million units sold. The Japanese carmaker came in a close second with 10.2 million vehicles rolling out of its dealerships worldwide. The stellar VW sales performance was attributed to strong demand in China and Europe. These, despite a 34% dip in Brazil and a 3% decrease in US demand. To be fair, however, Toyota also suffered a 2% dive in profits in the US market.
Speaking of the US, Toyota and other carmakers could face an even tougher time this 2017. This is due to the “big border tax” that newly-inaugurated US President Donald Trump is planning to implement on companies who have set up factories in Mexico. This, along with much cheaper Chinese cars, could dampen spirits and sales in the coming year. Whether VW will be included in this dip remains to be seen.
