The year that ended a few days ago was a positive one for the Volkswagen brand, which reported U.S. sales of 324,402 units that represents a 26.3 percent increase over 2010 and marks its best year in sales since 2002.
The company’s December sales in the States totaled 32,502 vehicles, up 36.2 percent over the same month in 2010. VW noted that it was its best December since 1972.
Leading the sales chart was the new Jetta with 150,515 units for 2011, a 54.5 percent increase over 2010; in December VW sold 12,422 examples of its compact sedan recording an 18 percent increase.
The new North American Passat, which is built in VW’s Chattanooga plant, sold 22,779 units, including 6,884 units for the month of December 2011, for a 124 percent growth over 2010.
According to the German automaker, the 2012 Beetle sold 5,626 units in 2011 including 1,530 in Decemberm, while GTI sales increased 22.6 percent for the year and the Touareg saw its numbers go up of 59.9 percent in 2011.
Sales of the Chrysler-sourced Routan minivan plummeted close to 22 percent in the year to 12,473 units.
Interestingly, VW said that diesel TDI models accounted for 21.6 percent of the firm’s total sales in 2011 and 18.4 percent in December.
