For the first time ever, Volkswagen Group sold more cars in China than it did in its home market of Germany. During the first half of 2009, Volkswagen sold 652,000 cars in China, while it sold 631,900 vehicles in Germany during the same period. Both figures represented an increase in demand for the automaker’s portfolio.
VW saw a 22.7 percent increase over the same period in 2008 in China, while its sales increased 18.3 percent in Germany.

For comparison, Volkswagen saw a 5 percent dip in global demand, mostly dragged down by sluggish new car demand in North America and in much of Europe. The automaker sold 221,900 cars in North America and 1,662,900 cars in all of Europe.

The figures include the entire lineup of Volkswagen Group products, including VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini.