Porsche's nine-month sales slide 16% on weak China demand, focus on value over volume

Oct 9 (Reuters) - German sports car maker Porsche said on Friday it delivered 16% fewer vehicles globally in the first nine months of 2026, as weak demand in China, the phase-out of the 718 model line and its focus on brand value over volume continued to weigh on sales.

"Our focus is on highly desirable sports cars, appealing derivatives and the continued expansion of our individualisation offering," said board member for sales and marketing Matthias Becker.

• Deliveries in China plunged by 33% in the nine months through September

• Volumes fell 13% in North America, Porsche's largest sales region, and declined 11% in Europe excluding Germany

• Porsche said third-quarter deliveries were in line with trends seen in the first half of the year

• Despite an overall decline in deliveries, demand for the iconic 911 remained robust, with nine-month sales rising 12% to 42,217 vehicles worldwide

• On Wednesday, rival Mercedes-Benz posted an 8% drop in Q3 car sales, citing challenging market conditions in China

(Reporting by Rachel More in Berlin and Amir Orusov in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)