Volkswagen AG will vie with General Motors Co for the sales crown among foreign automakers in China next year, gaining market share as Japanese carmakers such as Toyota Motor Corp struggle to recover amid a territorial dispute.

VW, whose luxury Audi sedans are popular with Chinese bureaucrats, hasn't held the lead in the country since 2004 and will probably sell 2.7 million vehicles in the country next year, helped by eight new or revamped models including the Santana, Golf, Skoda Octavia and Audi Q3, according to an industry researcher.

China Daily - Agencies