Volkswagen UK sales slow down in November

Volkswagen saw its UK sales fell sharply in November, as the embattled car-maker suffered repercussions from the ongoing emissions scandal.

According to data released on Friday by Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, sales of Volkswagen cars in Britain tumbled 20% year-on-year last month, while other marques of the VW Group were also on the back foot, with Seat and Skoda registering a 24% and 11% decline respectively.

Audi sold 4% less cars than it did in the previous year, while Bentley bucked the trend and sold 88 vehicles compared to the 73 it sold last in November 2014.

The figures are another setback for the German group, which saw sales decline 10% year-on-year in October, although Volkswagen UK said the decline wasn’t necessarily related to the emissions scandal and said sales in the year up to the end of November were up 5% from last year.

Data released on Wednesday, showed Volkswagen sales declined only 2% in Germany last month, although they plunged 25% on the US market.

In the UK, Citroen was the worst performer out of the mass-market manufacturers, with sales plunging 29% year-on-year, although the French car-maker stated this was due to its DS brand being separated from the main marque over the last 12 months.

"Some fluctuation in monthly registration figures for individual brands is normal, with volumes subject to a number of factors including new models and large fleet deals," said an SMMT spokesperson.