VOLKSWAGEN GROUP DELIVERS OVER NINE MILLION VEHICLES FOR FIRST TIME

• December was strong month: 784,300 vehicles delivered / 20.7 percent rise*
• Board of Management Chairman Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn: “Group developed extremely well in difficult conditions and recorded best sales year ever.”
• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: “Present uncertainties will intensify in 2013. Markets remain challenging, competition is getting tougher.”

The Volkswagen Group recorded a further strong increase in worldwide deliveries for the full year 2012 and exceeded the prior-year delivery record. The Company delivered 9.07 (2011: 8.16; +11.2 percent)* million vehicles for the first time in a twelve-month period. The Group also finished the month of December with a 20.7 percent increase, delivering 784,300 (December 2011: 649,700)* units.

 

The Chairman of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft’s Board of Management, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, commented: “The Volkswagen Group developed extremely well in difficult conditions. 2012 was the best sales year ever. This is another bigstep forward in our Strategy 2018.Tough challenges lie ahead.The Volkswagen Group has everything it takes to face these challenges and to play a leading role on world markets.”

 

Group Board Member for Sales, Christian Klingler, added: “All the brands in our Group contributed to this very good delivery performance in 2012. This is an excellent team achievement. We are still keeping a vigilant eyeon the future, because the present uncertainties will intensify this year, particularly in Western Europe. The markets are challenging and competition is also getting tougher.”

 

Full-year deliveries developed especially well on the American continent, with the number of vehicles handed over in the North America region in the period to December growing 26.2 percent to 841,500 (666,800) units, ofwhich 596,100 (444,200; +34.2 percent) were delivered in the United States.

 

“The United States is one of the Volkswagen Group’s key markets for implementing our Strategy 2018. Volkswagen Group of America will continue to grow and, together with Porsche Cars North America, will deliver well in excess of 600,000 vehicles to customers this year”, Winterkorn said on the eve of this year’s motor show in Detroit.

 

The Volkswagen Group handed over 1.01 (0.93; +8.2percent) million vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period, of which 780,200 (704,700; +10.7 percent) were delivered in Brazil.

 

The Group also recorded very satisfactory figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where deliveries topped the three million mark for thefirst time in a twelve-month period, with 3.17 (2.57; +23.3 percent) million vehicles handed over to customers, of which 2.81 (2.26; +24.5 percent) million units were delivered in China, theregion’s largest single market. In India, deliveries increased by 2.1 percent to 114,100 (111,700) units.

 

Deliveries by the Volkswagen Group on the overall European market remained stable in spite of the continuing difficult situation on markets in Southern Europe, and ran at 3.67 (3.68; -0.3 percent) million vehicles. InWestern Europe (excluding Germany), Europe’s largest automaker delivered 1.85 (1.98; -6.5 percent) million units. The Company grew deliveries in thehome market ofGermany to 1.18 (1.15; +1.9 percent) vehicles. The Volkswagen Group continued to enjoy strong growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 644,300 (547,800; +17.6 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, of which 317,700 (229,000; +38.8 percent) were delivered in Russia, the region’s largest single market.

 

Outline of developments at Group brands

 

The Volkswagen Passenger Carsbrand delivered 5.74 (5.09; +12.7 percent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the full year2012. The brand developed particularly well in the Central andEastern Europe region, delivering 267,100 (218,100; +22.4 percent) there. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 623,300 (496,700; +25.5 percent) vehicles in the North America region and 2.37 (1.93; +23.2 percent) million units in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Audi delivered 1.46 (1.30; +11.7 percent) million vehicles worldwide in the period to December 2012.The premium brand from Ingolstadt developed particularly well in North America, where 168,800 (142,500; +18.5 percent) units were handed over tocustomers, and inthe Asia-Pacific region, where deliveries for the same period ran at 478,900 (373,700), an increase of 28.1 percent.

 

The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 59,500 vehicles from August toDecember. Demand for models built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, where 17,800 vehicles were handed over. In the North America region, 17,400 units were delivered as a result of continued high demand.

 

The ŠKODAbrand delivered a total of 939,200 (879,200; +6.8 percent) vehicles in 2012. The Czech automaker developed particularly well in Central andEastern Europe, where 261,100 (231,600; +12.7 percent) units were delivered, and in the Asia-Pacific region, where 276,800 (256,100; +8.1 percent) vehicles were handed over.

 

As a result of thedifficult market situation in Western Europe, SEATdelivered 321,000 (350,000; -8.3 percent) vehicles worldwide in the period to December. In contrast, theSpanish brand recorded a strong increase in Germany, where 63,700 (52,000, +22.5 percent) vehicles were delivered. Deliveries in the UK rose to 39,000 (36,100; +8.2 percent), and in Mexico 21,100 (18,100; +16.5 percent) vehicles were handed over.

 

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew full-year deliveries 4.1 percent to550,400 (528,900) units. Deliveries on the overall European market were maintained at the high prior-year level in spite of the difficult market conditions, and 326,000 (326,300; -0.1 percent) vehicles were handedover to customers. The brand recorded strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region, where19,000 (11,700; +61.9 percent) vehicles were delivered.