WORLDWIDE SALES JULY - Volkswagen continues to dip sales, when will they start to turn that corner and grow again.

• Deliveries in July slightly lower than previous year
• Brand Board Member for Sales Jürgen Stackmann: “Cautious start to second half of year in Europe, significant momentum continues in China”

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 3.37 million vehicles worldwide from January to July, almost matching the prior-year level. 449,100 vehicles were handed over to customers in July. 

Describing the challenging conditions, Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, commented: “The Volkswagen brand made a cautious start to the second half of the year in Europe. 

One main reason was that July had two working days less this year than last year. Another factor was the special effect caused by the general consumer reticence in some key European markets as a result of changed economic conditions.”

Volkswagen delivered 129,800 vehicles on the overall European market in July, 10.9 percent down on the previous year. Deliveries in Western Europe were 14.0 percent lower than the previous year, with the brand handing over a total of 110,500 vehicles to customers, of which 46,900 (-15.6 percent) were delivered on the home market of Germany. In Central and Eastern Europe, on the other hand, Volkswagen again grew deliveries significantly, handing over 19,300 vehicles (+12.5 percent) to customers there.

At 51,200 units, deliveries in the North America region in July were 1.7 percent down on the prior year. Volkswagen handed over 28,800 vehicles to customers in the USA in July, a decrease of 8.1 percent on the prior-year level. The Mexican market continued to develop well following the successful launch of the up! as well as new versions of the Golf, and deliveries there in July ran at 16,700 vehicles (+18.3 percent). The market situation on the South American continent remained tense. Volkswagen was not immune to this trend. At 30,200 units, deliveries in South America were 25.4 percent lower than the previous year, chiefly as a result of the sharp market downturn in Brazil.

In the Asia-Pacific region, on the other hand, Volkswagen continued on its growth path in July, handing over 223,200 units (+12.6 percent).

The growth driver was the Chinese market, where 210,500 vehicles were handed over to customers, representing a strong rise of 16.7 percent compared with the previous year. As a result, over 1.6 million vehicles were delivered in the first seven months of the year for the first time.

Commenting on the current situation on the world’s largest single market, Stackmann said: “The significant momentum on the Chinese market continues.”

Overview of deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand:

Deliveries to customers by markets	July 2016	July 2015	Change (%)	Jan.- July 2016	Jan.- July 2015	Change (%)
Europe	129,800	145,700	-10.9	1,021,100	1,036,900	-1.5
Western Europe	110,500	128,500	-14.0	894,600	918,800	-2.6
Germany	46,900	55,600	-15.6	341,700	360,700	-5.3
Central and Eastern Europe	19,300	17,200	+12.5	126,400	118,100	+7.1
Russia	5,800	5,900	-1.7	39,500	42,500	-7.2
North America	51,200	52,100	-1.7	326,500	343,600	-5.0
USA	28,800	31,300	-8.1	177,800	205,700	-13.6
South America	30,200	40,400	-25.4	209,500	288,300	-27.3
Brazil	20,700	29,500	-30.0	141,200	214,400	-34.2
Asia-Pacific	223,200	198,300	+12.6	1,707,500	1,605,300	+6.4
China	210,500	180,300	+16.7	1,601,900	1,476,500	+8.5
Worldwide	449.100	457.500	-1,8	3.374.000	3.403.200	-0,9