China Sales Growth Cools for Lamborghini

Volkswagen AG's Lamborghini supercar unit tells Bloomberg News that much of its sales growth will come in the U.S., Japan and the Middle East as expansion slows in China.

Last year Lamborghini's worldwide sales climbed 30% to nearly 2,100 vehicles, according to the news service. But this year Lambo expects demand in China to slip from 230 units to 200 because of government pressure to reduce spending on luxury goods.

The company has predicted that adding a planned high-performance crossover vehicle in about 2017 could contribute 3,000 sales annually. The vehicle, which is based on the Urus concept unveiled at the Beijing auto show in April, still has not been approved, according to CEO Stephan Winkelmann.

Lamborghini last produced an SUV the LM002, often referred to as the Rambo Lambo in 1993 after selling 328 units in 10 years.

Lamborghini sells about 600 cars per year in the U.S., its largest market. The company projects that its annual sales in India will rise from 17 units last year to 30-40 units in a few years. LMC Automotive has forecast that India's luxury-car market will climb to 41,300 units in 2018 from about 16,500 units this year.