Volkswagen's U.S. sales fell in October, dropping 18 percent to around 28,000 vehicles, USA TODAY reported.
The latest numbers make for a 4 percent fall for the year as Volkswagen misses out on the sales growth powering the rest of the auto industry.
Volkswagen saw an across-the-board drop in sales, and the automaker didn't offer any high-profile new or refreshed models in 2013.
The only growth in U.S. sales for the Germany-based automaker was the Beetle, which saw sales up 4.8 percent from a year ago to 2,555. The rise was likely due to the added sales of 1,243 of the new convertible model that were not on sale last October, according to USA Today.
Among Volkswagen's key volume models, the Passat mid-size sedan fell about 13 percent, selling 7,258 for the month, while the Jetta compact's sales dropped 9.7 percent with sales of 10,161.
The Volkswagen brand is "operating from a new plateau" after several years of growth, according to Volkswagen Group of America head Jonathan Browning.
"After more than doubling our sales over the past three years, it is a significant recognition of the strength of our products that we are on course to close out a second consecutive year with over 400,000 vehicles delivered for the first time in 40 years," Browning said in a statement.
Experts say it might be difficult for the German carmaker to catch up.
"Volkswagen is still struggling to keep up with the industry as it discontinues old models and awaits the arrival of new ones. Volkswagen also doesn't have the product breadth to capitalize on the truck and small SUV boom," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds.com. "The company will have a lot of ground to make up to achieve its ambitious goal to sell 800,000 vehicles--about double this year's anticipated sales--in 2018."
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