S. Korean automakers log record sales in 2011 (02/01/12)

South Korea's leading five automakers saw sales increase more than 13 per cent to over 7.75 million units last year thanks to strong demand from overseas.

Domestic sales were up 0.5 per cent to approximately 1.5 million deliveries, while international sales rose nearly 17 per cent to over six million units.

Hyundai and affiliate Kia led the growth, accounting for combined sales of over 6.59 million units.

GM Korea saw local sales rise to over 140,000 units, Renault Samsung's deliveries fell nine per cent and Ssangyong reported a 38.2 per cent surge in sales.

Automakers see slower U.S. sales growth in 2012 (04/01/12)

US car makers forecast slow sales growth in 2012 despite ending 2011 on a high.

Industry-wide sales of around 12.8 million vehicles for last year were up ten per cent on 2010, with Chrysler and Volkswagen reporting deliveries up by 37 and 36 per cent respectively last month.

GM and VW predict car sales in 2012 of between 13.5 million to 14 million across the industry as a whole, suggesting growth of around five to nine per cent.

"We're still in a recession-like industry," GM US sales chief Don Johnson said.

UPDATE 2-Japan Dec car sales jump, 2011 total still poor (05/01/12)

New car sales in Japan slipped to their lowest in 40 years in 2011 despite a strong December.

Sales last year fell 16.7 per cent to 2,689,074 vehicles, the lowest level since 1968, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

VW passenger-car sales rose 13% in 2011 (06/01/12)

Volkswagen delivered 5.1 million passenger cars to customers worldwide in 2011, up 13 per cent from 2010.

One-third of the deliveries went to China and Hong Kong, equivalent to 1.72 million vehicles - a rise of 14 per cent from a year earlier.

US deliveries also rebounded, jumping 26 per cent on the year to more than 324,000 units.

S.Africa 2011 vehicle sales boosted by lower rates (10/01/12)

Car sales in South Africa for 2011 were up nearly 16 per cent at an estimated 571,425 units compared to 492,907 units sold in 2010, the National Association for Automobile Manufacturers (NAAMSA) said.

"The underlying momentum remains positive and it's due to historically low interest rates. Vehicle affordability has improved quite significantly," said Nico Vermeulen, NAAMSA director.

13.7m passenger automobiles sold in 2011 (11/01/12)

Some 13.7 million passenger cars were sold in China during 2011, an increase of 2.8 per cent from the previous year, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) statistics show.

CPCA general secretary Rao Da, who feels some manufacturers may be holding back sales from December to bolster January's figures, is less optimistic about 2012.

"Nobody is especially optimistic about the automobile market this year," he said.

Russian car maker AvtoVAZ sees 2011 sales up 12 pct (11/01/12)

Russia's state-owned car maker AvtoVAZ recorded a 12 per cent sales increase last year, delivering 634,000 vehicles.

The boost has been pinned on the firm, which is 25 per cent owned by Renault, benefitting from a recovering economy and a government scrappage scheme.

Overall Russian car sales were up 36 per cent at 2.65 million in 2011, according to the Association of European Businesses (AEB).

Russia car sales forecast up 12 pct in 2012 (12/01/12)

Sales of new cars in Russia will increase 12 per cent in 2012, according to the AEB.

Volkswagen, BMW Post 2011 European Gains as Region’s Sales Drop (17/01/12)

VW, BMW and Daimler all benefitted from a strong demand in Germany, the only one of Europe's big five auto markets to see sales rise in 2011.

BMW hit record global deliveries thanks to a 7.7 per cent rise in European sales, while VW increased sales 7.8 per cent.

Daimler, which own Mercedes-Benz, reported a more modest 0.4 per cent gain in 2011.

Registrations across Europe as a whole fell 1.4 per cent last year to 13.6 million vehicles.

Spain led the decline with an 18 per cent drop in sales, while Italy posted similarly weak figures, down 11 per cent from 2010.

Deliveries fell 4.4 per cent in the UK and 2.1 per cent in France. Sales in Germany rose 8.8 per cent on the year.

PSA Peugeot Citroen recorded an 8.8 per cent drop in European sales, Renault an 8.1 per cent fall and Fiat SpA a 12 per cent decline.

Japan auto lobby eyes 900,000 unit tailwind from incentives (20/01/11)

Government incentives to encourage people to buy clean cars in Japan could drive sales up by 900,000 units in the next financial year, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga said.

The country's auto industry is badly in need of a boost following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, which severely affected both production and demand.

U.S. Clean Diesel Auto Sales Soar To 27 Percent Increase In 2011 (10/01/12)

Sales of new clean diesel automobiles in the US increased 27.4 per cent in 2011 over 2010, according to data from HybridCars.Com and market research firm Baum and Associates.

"Without a doubt, 2011 was a key year for the industry's effort to re-establish clean diesel automobiles in the United States," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

"This 27 per cent increase in annual sales is a strong sign that American drivers are understanding the benefits of new clean diesel technology in terms of better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions."

New federal fuel efficiency standards requiring a 54.5 mpg average by 2025 will also boost clean diesel auto sales, he added.

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