VW Group sales down 20 per cent

While November saw a rise in car sales, SMMT figures show that it was far from a good month for the VW Group in the UK: Volkswagen sales in Britain tumbled in November with new car registrations of VW-branded models falling 20 per cent year-on-year in the wake of the diesel emissions rigging scandal.

All of VW’s main brands saw drops, with Audi branded cars falling 4 per cent, Seat 24 per cent and Skoda 11 per cent.

Although the scandal engulfing the German carmaker first broke in mid-September, car deliveries typically occur several weeks after purchase decisions, making November’s data the best gauge so far of the impact on demand.