Porsche sales in UAE surge 41%

Dubai German sports carmaker Porsche, part of the Volkswagen Group, reported a rise in vehicle sales in the UAE region where sales surged 41 per cent. George Wills, the Managing Director for Porsche in the region, said the Cayenne 4x4, which makes up 70 per cent of sales, had helped to increase the popularity of the Porsche brand, as had an improved dealer network. "The importer network has invested significantly over the past 24 months to ensure a high profile and prominent Porsche presence throughout the region," Mr Wills said. The German company sold 1,356 cars in the first half of the year across the Emirates, compared with 958 vehicles in the same period last year. Globally, Porsche delivered a total of 60,659 new vehicles in the first half of the year, up 36.8 per cent on the same period last year. Demand for the 4x4 has caused delivery times to peak to as high as a year in markets such as China, Bernhard Maier, Porsche's Head of Sales and Marketing said. Ford, Toyota, General Motors, BMW and Nissan all reported double-digit sales growth in the first six months of the year. Porsche, like Toyota, has earlier recalled its 128 of its 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS sports cars to repair switches that control traction and adjust suspensions.