We guess that there is no person who has not heard about the VW diesel-emissions scandal. The company, which owns 70 percent of the U.S. passenger-car diesel market, is in major trouble for cheating on diesel-emissions tests. However, this scandal did not prevent the company to take the leading position in its sales for the first half of the year.
The analyzed figures show that Volkswagen Group sold over 5 million cars and light trucks worldwide and more than any other automaker in the first half of 2016. According to the Center for Automotive Management, the carmaker sold up 0.8 percent from a year ago. The figure includes the automaker's flagship Volkswagen brand, as well as Audi, Porsche, and its other nameplates.
In the United States, the German brand sustained a 14.5 percent drop in the first half of this year, though Audi and Porsche sales have remained higher. It's clear that Volkswagen is still trying to regain customer trust in the U.S. Of course, it will take some time. The thing is that the automaker is taking responsibility for the diesel scandal and it still produces quality vehicles.