Volkswagen Group brands soar high on luxury SUVs

When consumer confidence sinks, sales of expensive new cars tend to as well. But is that actually still the case this year?

According to April 2018 sales results, sports cars under $200K are down by about a quarter compared with last year, but those above $200K are up 5.4 per cent. And that doesn’t include super-luxury SUVs that are dominating the sales of those brands also improving in that top sports car segment.

Bentley has sold 29 Bentaygas this year, more than half of its 47 total. The big Brit is bullying another big Brit, snaring one-third of Range Rover (93) volume. And the new Continental should boost its coupe/convertible sales of 11 compared with 30 by April 2017.

Lamborghini has hit the same 47 sales as Bentley this year, but conversely without the help of its SUV, the Urus. There is now strong potential for that Italian bull to rampage on its Italian-stallion Ferrari foe currently sitting on 81 sales year to date – up 39.7 per cent, but sans SUV.

Meanwhile, McLaren hasn’t kept pace with last year – 30 sales plays 37, down 18.9 per cent – but it will bank on the 570S Spider to boost that.

All such figures pale against the Porsche 911, though, which despite being in the final year of its lifecycle has pulled 238 buyers to April 2018 for a heady 28.6 per cent increase. The similarly old Macan may have quadrupled the iconic two-door’s volume (with 884 sales year to date) but it can’t match its growth, with only a 1.8 per cent boost.

With the new Cayenne just arriving, Stuttgart will no doubt expect that large SUV’s 39.5 per cent slump year to date to reverse. With only 337 sales compared with 557 at the same time last year, it has single handedly dragged the brand’s volume down from 1813 to 1652 – a loss of 8.9 per cent.