Gasgoo.com (Shanghai September 7) - Shanghai Volkswagen held an opening ceremony for its most recent certified dealer, the Nanjing-based Tianzhong company, Beijing Business Today reported earlier this week. The opening of the new outlet, the joint venture's 500th, represents a new phase of rapid expansion for Shanghai VW.

Shanghai VW's automobile sales last year exceeded 1 million. This year, meanwhile, the JV managed cumulative sales of 612,203 units from January to July, representing 15.6 percent year-on-year growth for the manufacturer (well above the industry average of 3.4 percent expansion). Shanghai VW's market coverage has hit 9 percent, also significantly higher than 2010.

Among its lineup, the new Passat (pictured below), which made its debut this April at the Auto Shanghai 2011 exhibition, has seen especially strong results, with sales in July alone exceeding 10,000. August sales for the car look to have broken the 180,000 mark.