Porsche says it registered a new global sales record in 2018, delivering 256 255 vehicles over the course of the year. This figure is four percent up on the total achieved in 2017.
The Zuffenhausen-based automaker says the Panamera recorded the strongest year-on-year percentage growth during 2018, jumping 38 percent to 38 443 deliveries. The 911, meanwhile, also recorded a double-digit rise, increasing ten percent to 35 573 units despite the change-over to a new generation.
“The 911 capacity to fascinate is stronger than ever,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board responsible for sales and marketing at Porsche.
“We just celebrated the world premiere of the new 911 at the end of the year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and yet our sports car icon once again inspired more customers in 2018 than in the previous year.”
The Macan, however, remained the major volume driver for the brand, with 86 031 units sold (despite that figure representing a decline of 11 percent), ahead of the Cayenne with 71 458 deliveries (up 12 percent). And the 718 Boxster/Cayman? Well, this range fell one percent to 24 750 units.
The brand’s biggest market was again China, where 80 108 units were registered in 2018 (up some 12 percent). The United States, meanwhile, accounted for 57 202 units (up three percent).
Deliveries in Europe were four percent down at 77 216 units, something the automaker attributes to the new WLTP test cycle.
“The switch to the new WLTP test cycle and gasoline particle filters in Europe mean that we faced significant challenges in the fourth quarter of 2018, and these will continue to be felt in the first half of 2019. On top of that, we stopped offering models with diesel engines in February 2018,” Von Platen said.
And in South Africa? Well, a spot of rudimentary maths shows Porsche SA registered 1 332 units in SA in 2018. Unfortunately, we can’t tell which was its most popular model locally since the brand stopped reporting individual model sales (instead releasing only aggregate monthly sales data) earlier in the year…
