Some two months since news broke about the VW Group cheating emissions testing in the States, the full affect of the scandal on the German conglomerate’s vehicle sales is starting to become clear.
During November in the United States, sales of Volkswagen-branded models declined by 24.7 per cent over the same month in 2014. The Volkswagen Passat and Golf suffered the largest individual sales decline, dropping by 60 per cent at 2,976 units and 64 per cent at 774 units respectively.
The percentage decline sustained by each speaks volumes as to the uphill battle Volkswagen is facing in regaining consumer confidence and trust.
In a statement, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America Mark McNabb said “Volkswagen is working tirelessly on an approved remedy for the affected TDI vehicles. During this time we would like to thank our dealers and customers for their continued patience and loyalty.”
In September, the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States revealed that the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engine used by over 11 million VW Group cars worldwide had software to cheat emissions testing. The company is now planning recalls for all affected cars. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that one month ago, the EPA said that VW’s 3.0-litre diesel V6 also used by Audi and Porsche has similar misleading software installed, although all firms deny it.
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