TIANJIN - German carmaker Volkswagen posted slightly weaker auto sales in China in the first half of 2017, but demand for its luxury cars remained resilient, according to a report released by the company.

Volkswagen delivered nearly 1.83 million vehicles to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong from January to June this year, a decrease of 1.6 percent year on year. In June alone, Volkswagen's year-on-year sales rose by 5.2 percent to more than 315,000 units.

Sales of Volkswagen models reached nearly 1.4 million units in China, and the SUV remained the primary force of growth for the group, with sales of the Tiguan model up 39 percent during the period.

Audi sales went down 12.2 percent to 254,800 units. Skoda sales fell 8.1 percent to 134,000 units. Demand for Porsche remained strong, with sales up 17.8 percent to 35,900 units.

Volkswagen is the largest automotive manufacturing company in Europe, with 12 vehicle brands including Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley delivered to 153 countries and regions worldwide. The group had 120 factories by 2016.