DOHA: Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE has announced a more than 50 per cent rise in regional half-year sales for 2013 compared to the same period last year. Porsche shipped 6,069 new cars across the region from January to June, up from 4,012 in 2012.
Accounting for more than a quarter of total regional sales, the United Arab Emirates has played a key role in ensuring Porsche’s latest sales success. In Abu Dhabi alone, sales for the first six months of 2013 were more than double those of the same period in 2012. South Africa has seen the second strongest increase, up 97 per cent, followed by Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.
George Wills, Managing Director of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, commented: “The breadth and depth across the Porsche model range has reaped rewards and we’re delighted to see such strong growth throughout the region. These results give us confidence moving forward and there is a lot still to come in 2013; with the second generation Panamera on the way we’re expecting great things from a car which has been one of our most consistent performers.”
In the year that Porsche celebrates 50 years of the 911, the iconic sports car has been a key contributor to the region’s growth. Sales have increased from 669 in the first half of 2012 to 878 in 2013, up 31 percent, representing a 14 per cent share of Porsche models sold in the region. With sales of 607 units, the mid-engine Boxster and Cayman models recorded a combined five-fold increase compared to 2012. However, the most successful range in the first six months of this trading year was the Cayenne: 3,675 vehicles sold represent a year-on-year increase of 55 per cent. Sales of the Panamera have remained steady in 2013, with 842 models sold, despite the imminent arrival of the second generation, cementing its position as the leading Gran Turismo sports car. First revealed at the Auto Shanghai Motor Show, the new Panamera will receive its regional launch later this year with excitement around the arrival of the Panamera S E-Hybrid — the world’s first plug-in hybrid in the luxury segment. The Peninsula
