CHANGCHUN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Volkswagen Group China registered strong sales in the domestic market in 2017, the company announced Tuesday.

The company, along with two joint ventures -- SAIC Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen -- delivered nearly 3.18 million automobiles to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong last year, up 5.9 percent year on year.

The sales of SUVs topped 400,000 last year, the company said.

According Dr. Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen China Passenger Cars Brand, the company is planning to launch four new SUV models to meet strong demand this year in the Chinese market and plans to introduce 10 new SUV models by 2020.

Volkswagen is the largest automotive manufacturing company in Europe, with 12 vehicle brands, including Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley, delivered to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.