Volkswagen AG has retained its position as the biggest passenger car maker and seller in China, though it saw smaller growth than its rivals last year in the world's largest auto market, Dow Jones reported today.
VW's China sales in 2009 hit a record 1.4 million units, up 36.7% year on year. Sales of Volkswagen brand cars rose 32.4% to 1.12 million units. Its luxury Audi brand sold 158,941 units, up 32.9%. Its Skoda brand more than doubled to 122,556 units. VW also sold 484 Bentleys and 118 Lamborghinis in China last year.

General Motors, Volkswagen's closest rival in China, saw its China sales in 2009 jump 66.9% to 1.83 million units. It sold 727,620 passenger cars, up 63%, through its flagship passenger vehicle venture, Shanghai GM. It also sold 60,000 Chevrolet Spark mini-cars through its mini commercial-vehicle venture, SAIC-GM-Wuling.

VW's smaller rival in China, Ford Motor, said its sales in China last year from its local passenger vehicle joint venture Changan Ford Mazda rose 55% to a record 315,791 units.

China overtook the U.S. as the world's largest car market measured by last year's annual sales volume. Up to 13.5 million vehicles were likely sold in China last year, compared with an estimated 10.4 million in the U.S.
 
"We are full of confidence for 2010 (and) expecting a growth rate of 10% to 15% for the total automotive market in China," said Winfried Vahland, president and chief executive of Volkswagen Group China.