Volvo Car has reported global sales up 1.4% to 427,840 units in 2013. Despite a strong surge in China, the US market remained the biggest for Volvo in 2013.

Volvo sold 61,233 cars in the US versus 61,146 units sold in China in 2013.

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December showed a 20.5% decrease due to what Volvo said were ‘extraordinary one-time effects in December 2012′. The Volvo S60 and XC60 were the two best sellers while the introduction of the new Drive-E engine family, with top class fuel economy, and the launch of the Volvo V60 are expected to bolster Volvo Cars’ position in the US market in 2014, Volvo said.

Sales in China accelerated throughout the year and set a new all-time high record in December 2013 with 6,685 cars sold, contributing to total sales for 2013 of 61,146 cars, just a few cars less than the US. The best-selling model in China was the Volvo XC60, which also set a new record for an individual month in December 2013 with 3,242 cars sold.

Volvo Cars strengthened its position as market leader in Sweden with a 20% market share and four models on the top 10 list of best-selling car models. Sweden was Volvo Cars’ third-largest market in 2013 with 52,260 sold cars, with the Volvo V70 and V60 the two best-selling models.

Volvo’s V40 and 60-series carlines continued to boost European sales in December 2013. Growth came in particular from the Netherlands, UK and Norway. Volvo Cars Netherlands reported an outstanding market share of 5.86% making Volvo the largest premium brand in the country and the Volvo V40 one of the best-selling cars on the market. For the full year sales were flat in Europe, with the Volvo V40 being the best-selling Volvo model in the region. The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid was Europe’s best-selling diesel plug-in hybrid with 7,378 sold cars for 2013.

Japan also made an important contribution to Volvo Cars’ positive full-year result. Retail sales in Japan grew by 22% to 16,897 cars in 2013, with the Volvo V40 and V60 models the best-selling models.

“After six consecutive months of growing sales we can report a great full-year performance exceeding last year’s results,” said Alain Visser, senior vice president marketing, sales and customer service at Volvo Cars. “Our China team has delivered fantastic growth and we will continue to expand our presence there. We have new products reaching US showrooms soon and in Europe we have a very attractive product offer which will be further developed in 2014.”

Retail sales status (deliveries to end customers) for Volvo Car Group is as follows:

 

December

 

2012

2013

Change

China

4,356

6,685

53.5%

USA

6,150

4,888

-20.5%

EU20*

19,635

23,494

19.7%

 of which Sweden

5,598

5,480

-2.1%

Rest of World

8,414

7,984

-5.1%

TOTAL

38,555

43,051

11.7%

 

January – December

 

2012

2013

Change

 China

41,989

61,146

45.6%

US

68,079

61,233

-10.1%

EU20

 227,027

226,095

-0.4%

 of which Sweden

51,832

52,260

0.8%

Rest of World

84,856

79,366

-6.5%

Total

421,951

427,840

1.4%

 

For December, the Volvo XC60 was the best-selling model with 12,308 sold cars (2012: 9,925), followed by the Volvo V40 for which deliveries reached 8,093 cars (4,635). Including the Cross Country version, the V40 reached 10,561 sold cars. The third best-selling model was the Volvo V60 with 6,042 cars (5,570).

Looking at the full year 2013, the Volvo XC60 had its best year ever reaching 114,010 sold cars (2012: 106,203) and it became the best-selling Volvo model. The V40 model came in second with 78,307 cars (22,202) or 99,911 cars including the V40 Cross Country (22,446). The Volvo S60 finished as number three with 61,579 cars (64,746).