Volkswagen Group announces sales for the first four months of the year, slightly up on 2014.

• Slight increase of 1.0 per cent in deliveries for first four months
• 853,200 vehicles handed over in April
• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: “Mixed market trends. Continued focus on qualitative growth.”

The Volkswagen Group delivered 3.34 (January-April 2014: 3.31; +1.0 per cent) million vehicles from January to April this year. The Company handed over 853,200 (April 2014: 864,300; -1.3 per cent) vehicles to customers in the month of April. “The start to the second quarter highlights the mixed market trends in the different regions. 

While we are experiencing a tailwind in Western Europe and North America and have been able to grow Group deliveries – in some cases quite significantly – in those regions, the situation in South America and in Eastern Europe – where the trend is primarily driven by market developments in Russia – remains challenging,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday. “We continue to focus on qualitative growth. 

With its twelve brands, the Volkswagen Group is excellently positioned to achieve that,” Klingler continued.

Group brands delivered a total of 1.38 (1.33; +3.8 per cent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the first four months, of which 747,000 (702,600; +6.3 per cent) were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 

432,200 (400,100; +8.0 per cent) customers chose a new vehicle from the Volkswagen Group on the home market of Germany, while the Company delivered 199,900 (226,100; -11.6 per cent) units in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Deliveries in Russia continued to decline, with 57,600 (94,200; -38.8 per cent) vehicles handed over to customers there.

The Group delivered 284,300 (272,400; +4.3 per cent) models in the North America region from January to April, of which 184,000 (184,300; -0.2 per cent) were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 200,400 (252,700; -20.7 per cent) units in the South America region during the same period, of which 143,800 (196,200; -26.7 per cent) were handed over to customers in Brazil. 1.33 (1.32; +0.6 per cent) million vehicles were delivered in the Asia-Pacific region in the period to April, of which 1.19 (1.19; +0.2 per cent) million units were delivered in China, the Group’s largest single market.

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.98 (2.02; -2.2 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the first four months.

The premium brand Audi handed over 591,100 (561,900) vehicles worldwide in the period to April, an increase of 5.2 per cent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 72,600 (55,000) vehicles from January to April, representing an increase of 32.0 per cent compared with the previous year.

The Czech brand ŠKODA delivered 357,200 (336,800) vehicles in the period to April, a rise of 6.1 per cent.

SEAT handed over 138,400 (127,400; +8.6 per cent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first four months.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 147,500 (140,500; +4.9 per cent) vehicles during the same period.

The MAN brand delivered 30,300 (36.600; -17.3 per cent) units from January to April.

The Swedish brand Scania delivered 24,100 (24,700; -2.3 per cent) heavy trucks and buses to customers in the period to April.