MOTORING NEWS - Last year was a good one for the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer Porsche AG, who delivered 256 255 vehicles worldwide - more than ever before.
This represents a growth of 4% over the existing record figures of the previous year.
Of the model series, the Panamera recorded the strongest percentage growth with 38 443 cars sold, an increase of 38%. The 911 also recorded a double-digit rise: despite the pending release of a new generation of 911, the number of sports cars delivered increased by 10% to 35 573 vehicles.
"The 911 capacity to fascinate is stronger than ever," comments Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board responsible for sales and marketing at Porsche AG. "We just celebrated the world premiere of the new 911 at the end of the year at the Los Angeles Autoshow and yet again our sports car again inspired more customers in 2018 than in the previous year."
The Macan was the most successful model, with 86 031 vehicles sold - just ahead of the Cayenne with its 71 458 deliveries.
The Chinese market held on to pole position for deliveries in 2018. Growth in this market hit 12%, amounting to 80 108 units in total. In second place was the USA, with an increase of 3% to 57 202 vehicles.
The comprehensively upgraded Porsche Macan is expected to continue the success of its predecessor as the brand's most sold model.
Deliveries in Europe came in slightly below the previous year's figures.
"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.
"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. In the Asia-Pacific, Africa region, sales increased by 10% from 98 399 to 108 578.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
