Sales of the first two models launched last month in China under Volkswagen's Jetta subbrand beat expectations, according to a Chinese car website.
The VS5 compact crossover and the VS3 compact sedan combined for 11,080 deliveries by the end of September, after going on sale on the 5th and 16th of the month, respectively, Beijing-based Auto Market Online reported, citing information released by Jetta.
The number was 30 percent higher than expected by Jetta’s management team, the website said.
The majority of the volume was generated by the VS5, which has a starting price of 81,800 yuan ($11,489), according to the website.
The VS3, a three-box sedan, is priced at 65,800 yuan ($9,203) and above.
In February 2019, Jetta, previously sold only as a volume model under the VW brand, was unveiled as an entry-level subbrand for China.
VW expects Jetta to gain market share in China's entry-level segment, which has been dominated by domestic Chinese brands.
Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary annual OEM Survey of over 100 executives reveals that the majority of respondents are worried about the financial impact of Chinese automakers’ growing global market share, and most expect that the EV transition to be slower than expected. The survey also queried executives on their outlooks for dealership valuations and profitability, as well as their expectations for the future of dealer networks and facility requirements.
The third product to arrive will be the VS7 -- a crossover that is slightly bigger than VS5.
The three Jetta models were revealed in the southwest China city of Chengdu last year.
They were designed at VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg and built at the Chengdu plant of VW’s joint venture with China FAW Group.
