The Volkswagen brand set a global sales record for January with high demand in China and stronger deliveries in the United States, the company reported Monday.
The German automaker with an assembly plant in Chattanooga posted world sales of 533,500 vehicles, up 7.1 percent over the same month a year ago.
In China, VW's largest single market, the Volkswagen brand delivered 296,900 vehicles, up 9.7 percent.
In the U.S., Volkswagen increased deliveries by 5.2 percent to 24,700 vehicles. Since the brand added family-friendly SUVs to its lineup such as the Chattanooga-made Atlas, the share of sport utility vehicles to total sales has risen to 52 percent, according to the company.
In South America, 37,700 vehicles were handed over to customers, up 16.1 percent, according to VW.