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VW outsells GM in China for first time in 8 years

In case you didn't know, Volkswagen is hell-bent on becoming the largest automaker in the world. The German carmaker has inched closer to that goal, having outsold General Motors in China last quarter for the first time in eight years.
Volkswagen's sales in China, its largest marker, increased by 21 percent last quarter to 704,991 units. Those numbers almost tripled GM's third-quarter growth, and were enough to beat out the American automaker's 664,765 sales. GM, however, still leads in year-to-date sales in China by a slim margin of around 77,000 units. The Asian nation also happens to be GM's largest market, and according to the report in Automotive News, China's car market may grow to be larger than the US, Japan and Germany combined in three years' time.
About the news his company was bested in China by VW last quarter, GM CEO Dan Akerson is quoted saying, "It's not whether you're the biggest car manufacturer. It's whether you want to be the most profitable." It should be noted of these figures that GM includes truck figures, yet excludes Hong Kong and Macau from its Chinese sales numbers, while VW does just the opposite. Through September of this year, Volkswagen had 5 of the 10 best selling vehicles in China. GM boasted three of the cars on that list.

Skoda MissionL concept provides glimpse at Czech automaker's future

Skoda has taken its place on the floor of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, and Volkswagen's Czech arm has brought a new concept sedan along for the ride. Called MissionL, the crisp but conservative Skoda four-door concept is an almost-ready peek at the upcoming production model.
The Skoda MissionL is expected to slot in the lineup between the Fabia and the Octavia, models North Americans know best Volkswagen Polo and Jetta derivatives. The automaker plans to launch its MissionL first in India, with units arriving there by the end of 2011. After that, Skoda will provide the MissionL to markets in Europe, Russia and China sometime in 2012.
Skoda is using the MissionL concept to provide hints at the styling direction for future Skoda models. These new models are stepping stones that the automaker will have to land on as it attempts to hit a heady 1.5 million global sales by the year 2018.

2013 Skoda Rapid offers Czech flair in a Volkswagen world

Czech automaker Škoda has splashed down at this week's Paris Motor Show with its new Rapid sedan. The 2013 Rapid may bear a brand-specific front end, but the rest of the car isn't a far leap from its Volkswagen Jetta roots. We think that's a good thing, though perhaps the best instantiation of this corporate model is the new Toledo from Seat? We'll let the Europeans fight that one out.
The Rapid will serve as an entry point into the larger Volkswagen corporate universe for many buyers, offering a value-laden vehicle that is slightly less upscale than its German and Spanish counterparts. The Rapid will be served up with no fewer than five engine choices at launch: a pair of diesels and three different petrol-engined cars will fill out the roster.
Curiously, the Czech automaker already markets a very different model under the Rapid banner, a smaller VW Polo-derived model sold in India.