VW sales down as economy hits

Volkswagen Group China sold a total of 3.8 million vehicles in China in the first 11 months of this year, up 2.2 percent year on year, according to a statement published by Volkswagen on its official website.

But sales of Volkswagen in China fell 7.3 percent in November from the same month last year.

"The tariff dispute with the US had a marked impact on the overall market," the German automaker said in a statement.

"The resulting reluctance of Chinese consumers to purchase vehicles led to a fall in deliveries in November," VW said.

China’s auto sales continued their downward trend in November, driven by weak consumer demand and the overall macro-economic environment.

In November, China's auto sales dropped 13.9 percent to 2.55 million vehicles, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In the first 11 months of the year, China's auto sales fell 1.7 percent from the same period a year earlier to 25.42 million vehicles.

From January to November, the Volkswagen Group sold a total of 9.92 million vehicles worldwide, up 1.8 percent year on year. Volkswagen said despite a tense market environment with stagnating overall markets, a deliveries record for 2018 as a whole is therefore within reach.