BEIJING - Shanghai Volkswagen sold 526,960 cars in the first half of 2011, a 17.9 percent increase over the same period last year, about triple the 5.75 percent increase in the nation's overall passenger vehicle market.

The company sold 88,564 vehicles in June, a 6.6 percent rise over the same month last year.

The 2011 edition of Lavida hits the market.?[Photo/China Daily]

The joint venture's Volkswagen lineup sold 428,044 cars in the first half, 17.7 percent growth from last year, while its Skoda badge moved 98,916 vehicles in the period, a rise of 18.8 percent

Its Volkswagen Lavida is now one of the best sellers in China's compact auto segment, with 21,808 units delivered in June, which helped boost the model's half-year total to 127,687 units .

More than 550,000 Lavidas have been sold since the model was introduced three years ago.

The popular medium-sized VW Passat sold 10,641 units since its newest generation hit the market on April 17.

June sales of the Tiguan SUV increased 31 percent over the same period last year.

The Polo family of small cars also sold well, with half-year sales totaling 61,580 units.

Skoda brand

Skoda's compact Octavia sold 56,142 units from January to June, a 20 percent rise from the same period last year.

The medium-sized Superb sold 23,602 units in the period, 26 percent year-on-year growth.

Since it entered the Chinese auto market with its first model, the Octavia, Skoda has sold more than 500,000 cars in the country over the past four years.

According to Shanghai Volkswagen, its sales have continued to grow despite slowing in the overall market due to "accurate positioning in different segments". Volkswagen is even expanding production capacity.

The automaker recently announced two new plants have been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner.

The facilities will boost the auto giant's annual production capacity in the country to 3 million units, said Karl-Thomas Neuman, president and CEO of its China operation.

The new plants in Foshan, Guangdong province, and Yizheng, Jiangsu province, each has a planned production capacity of 300,000 units.

Volkswagen and its Chinese joint ventures - the Shanghai Volkswagen and the FAW Volkswagen - delivered 1.92 million vehicles in 2010.

The German automaker's joint ventures sold 548,400 vehicles in the first quarter of 2011, 19.9 percent more than the same period of 2010.

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, about 9.33 million vehicles were sold in the country in the first half of 2011, a 3.35 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

In June, about 1.44 million vehicles were sold in China, year-on-year growth of 1.4 percent.

Shanghai GM sold the most vehicles in the country last month, some 93,800 units, with Shanghai Volkswagen second on the list.

FAW Volkswagen ranked third with 84,300 units sold.