FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- Volkswagen Group says it expects to keep gaining market share in China and will continue to expand its product portfolio there.
"We expect to continue on this trajectory as we head towards year end and maintain a positive outlook for fourth quarter results in 2015," VW Group China CEO Jochem Heizmann said in a statement.
VW Group reported a 0.8 percent decline in sales in China in September, while the Chinese car market grew for the first time in six months.
The automaker is reeling from a scandal caused by its rigging of diesel-emissions tests in The U.S., and plans to cut spending on models, technology and production facilities at the VW brand by 1 billion euros ($1 billion) a year through 2019 in part to meet the mounting cost of the scandal.
But VW China said it would forge ahead with the expansion of its group product portfolio, which already includes 148 models ranging from compact cars to SUVs and large sedans.
VW said it was particularly optimistic about future growth in tier 3, 4 and 5 cities, with a burgeoning middle class and low rates of car ownership.
