VW marque sales slump 5.3%

In September the German auto giant admitted it had fitted cheat software to 11 million vehicles to beat official U.S. emission tests.

According to US News, 482,000 owners of diesel Volkswagens and Audis in the USA have been “in limbo” since the middle of September when the scandal broke out.

Analysts say the full impact of Volkswagen’s problems won’t be felt for several months, as sales numbers are several weeks behind.

New passenger auto registrations in the European Union and European Free Trade Association trading block rose 2.7 percent last month on a year ago to 1.14 million vehicles, according to the Brussels-based Association of European Carmakers (ACEA).

In terms of how things are looking for Volkswagen Group and all of its brands, including Audi and Porsche, global sales dropped 3.5 per cent to 831,300 units in October.

It also said that it is already in dialogue with the respective countries’ financial and fiscal authorities so that all taxes arising in direct relation to the Carbon dioxide issue are charged straight to the Volkswagen Group and not to the customers.

The figures follow a rise of 8.3 per cent during the previous month for the firm and indicate the wider financial implications of the company’s rigged emissions process, which saw it install software in certain cars to cheat tests.

Volkswagen of America’s $1,000 gift card offer for 2.0-liter diesel owners was met with a mixed reaction last week. Sales halved in Brazil and dropped by a quarter in Russian Federation as local economic woes dominated.

Volkswagen and Audi executives are expected to meet USA environmental regulators this week ahead of a deadline to submit a plan to fix almost 500,000 diesel cars that are equipped with the rigged emissions software, sources told Reuters Monday.

The goodwill offering is divided into two $500 cards: a $500 Visa debit card to be spent at the holder’s discretion; and the other, a $500 dealership credit to be used in availing services at VW dealerships, such as an oil change.

Commenting on the package, Horn says in the ad, “We sincerely hope you see this as a first step toward restoring your invaluable trust”. The affected cars also include a broad range of models made by Volkswagen’s SEAT and Skoda brands, which are not sold in the United States. “We will take care of each individual customer who is affected”, Stackmann said.

Volkswagen’s 10-month market share narrowed 0.4 percentage point to 25 per cent as the group’s 6.5 per cent sales growth in the period lagged behind the industrywide 8.2 per cent expansion.