Volkswagen AG's successful streak in the
United States hit a bump in April as sales dropped for the first time
in three years for the German automaker even as US car sales boomed.
VW sold 33,600 cars, a 10-per-cent drop from April 2012, the
company said Wednesday. The slump came despite a generally upbeat car
market in the US and puts a further drag on Europe's largest
carmaker, which is also suffering from stagnant growth on its home
continent.
Jonathan Browning, head of VW's US operations, called April a
"challenging month," especially for compact cars and midsize sedans.
Volkswagen is under pressure from Ford Motor Co and the growing
sales of its midsize Fusion sedan, whose sister model, the Mondeo, is
to be introduced in Europe.
Ford's sales climbed 18 per cent in April to 212,600 cars.
Chrysler also boosted sales by 11 per cent to 156,700 cars.
