Volkswagen of America today reported that sales fell 9.6 percent in April despite a record month for its Tiguan sport utility vehicle.
VW posted sales of 27,112 units in the month, with the Chattanooga-made Passat falling 15 percent over April 2015 to 5,629 vehicles as the company continues to deal with the diesel-emission scandal.
"We are pleased with the performance in our retail business, driven by vehicles like the Tiguan, GTI and Golf R," said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America, in a statement. "While overall sales reflect a decline this is due in large part to an intentional decrease in fleet sales."
Tiguan produced the best April results on record for the vehicle with 3,519 delivered, a 53 percent increase over March 2015, according to the company.
VW's plant in Chattanooga is undergoing a $900 million expansion, including $600 million spent locally, to make room for a new midsize SUV. Its production is slated to start late this year or in early 2017.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.