Volkswagen Golf kicks Volvo from half-century top spot in Sweden sales

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Volkswagen's Golf has knocked out Volvo as Sweden's best-selling vehicle, a title Volvo held for more than half a century in the Nordic country.

Though the Volvo still has the largest share of the country's car marketplace, the Golf made up 5.9 percent of new car sales in 2016, while Volvo's V70, S90 and V90 models made up 5.7 percent.

Volvo remains an iconic Swedish brand despite its ownership by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese firm, since 2010. About 21 percent of vehicles on Swedish roads are Volvos, while about 15 percent are Volkswagens.

The Volkswagen Beetle was the last vehicle to knock out Volvo from the top spot in 1962. Sweden's carmakers' association said 372,000 new car registrations were issued in 2016, a record that is up 8 percent from the previous year.