Volkswagen 2017 group sales increased to around 10.7 million cars: report

Volkswagen group sales most likely increased to around 10.7 million cars in 2017 and kept the German automaker ahead of Toyota as the world’s largest automaker, Bild am Sonntag reported, pointing out in-house Volkswagen estimates.

Higher delivery statistics throughout the group, which includes premium brands Audi and Porsche, helped drive income above 220 billion euros ($264.62 billion) for the first time ever after the 2016 record of 217 billion euros, the newspaper stated on Sunday.

A spokesman at Wolfsburg-based VW refused to discuss the report. The automaker is due to release official 2017 group sales data on January and will provide core financial results in late February.

In 2016, the first complete year after VW’s emissions test-cheating “Dieselgate” scandal, group sales increased 3.8 percent to a record 10.3 million cars, assisted by a double-digit boost in China and gains in Europe.

Toyota stated last month it expected to sell 10.35 million cars globally in 2017 throughout its Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino brands, up 2 percent from 2016, and 10.5 million this year.