Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, experienced a strong sales month in March and reported a 9.3 per cent year-on-year increase on the back of double-digit growth in the Asia Pacific and EMEA regions. Total sales for the month amounted to 57,158 cars, compared with 52,279 cars a year earlier.
Growth in the first quarter of 2017 amounted to 7.1 per cent, putting the company firmly on course for a fourth consecutive record year in retail sales.
Strong demand for the new 90 series cars remains an important factor in Volvo's positive sales performance, while the soon-to-be-replaced XC60 remains the best-selling model overall. A new XC60 was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show last month and will start production at the Torslanda plant in Sweden this month.
The United Kingdom recorded sales of 9,710 in March, up 30 per cent over the same month last year. Sales for the first three months of 2017 amounted to 13,582 cars, an increase of 18 per cent versus the same period in 2016. The XC60 has been the best-selling model in the UK so far this year, followed by the V40 and the XC90.
Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: "These incredible figures are a testament to the hard work of everyone at Volvo Car UK and the dealer network. An exceptional March and incredibly strong first quarter are the perfect start for what is set to be another year of record-breaking sales and growth for Volvo in the UK."
The Asia Pacific region reported sales growth of 16.7 per cent in March to 12,949 cars, boosted by a strong performance in China, Volvo's largest market. There, sales rose by 20.6 per cent to 9,095 cars, following strong demand for the locally produced XC60 and S60L models, as well as the XC90 and S90.
Sales in the EMEA region increased by 13.6 per cent to 37,206 cars sold, on the back of a strong performance in Sweden and double-digit growth in the United Kingdom and Germany. The region continued to see strong demand for the new V90 and XC90, as well as Europe's most popular premium mid-size SUV, the XC60. In Sweden, the new S90/V90 kept Volvo at its traditional spot on top of the list of best-selling models.
The Americas region reported sales of 6,687 cars, of which 5,356 were in the United States. The most popular model in the region was the XC60, followed closely by the XC90.
Retail sales status (deliveries to end customers) for Volvo Car Group is as follows:
|
|
March |
January - March |
|||||
|
|
2016 |
2017 |
Change |
2016 |
2017 |
Change |
|
|
Region EMEA |
32,757 |
37,206 |
13.6% |
72,169 |
78,820 |
9.2% |
|
|
|
United Kingdom Sweden |
7,488 6,432 |
9,710 7,106 |
29.7% 10.5% |
11,508 16,047 |
13,582 17,716 |
18.0% 10.4% |
|
Region Asia-Pacific |
11,095 |
12,949 |
16.7% |
28,348 |
32,872 |
16.0% |
|
|
|
China |
7,542 |
9,095 |
20.6% |
19,636 |
23,335 |
18.8% |
|
Region Americas |
8,113 |
6,687 |
-17.6% |
19,300 |
16,641 |
-13.8% |
|
|
|
USA |
6,857 |
5,356 |
-21.9% |
16,361 |
13,476 |
-17.6% |
|
Other |
314 |
316 |
0.6% |
774 |
815 |
5.3% |
|
|
TOTAL |
52,279 |
57,158 |
9.3% |
120,591 |
129,148 |
7.1% |
|
Globally, the Volvo XC60 was the best-selling model in March, with 18,420 cars sold (2016: 14,676), followed by the Volvo V40/V40 Cross Country, with 11,452 cars sold (10,965). The XC90 was third, with 7,661 sold cars (8,541). Sales figures by model can be found in the Sales Volumes section of the Global Newsroom.
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Volvo Car Group in 2016
For the 2016 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 11,014 MSEK (6,620 MSEK in 2015). Revenue over the period amounted to 180,672 MSEK (164,043 MSEK). For the full year 2016, global sales reached a record 534,332 cars, an increase of 6.2 per cent versus 2015. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world, with sales of 534,332 cars in 2016 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2016, Volvo Cars had more than 31,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China), and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
