Volkswagen was the first foreign carmaker to launch in China. It was 1984, when VW dubbed the country the “slightly motorised People’s Republic”.
Within just a few years, the company’s joint venture became the country’s biggest carmaker. Today, with three such tie-ups, it remains the largest force in China’s car sector. Last year the 12-brand VW Group sold 4.2m cars in the country — a market share of 18.5 per cent and accounting for 39 per cent of its global sales.
VW’s premium Audi brand was the luxury leader for a 30th consecutive year, lifting sales 11 per cent to 663,000 vehicles. Its sportscar unit, Porsche, increased sales by 12 per cent to 80,108.