Volkswagen Group delivers 2.40 million vehicles in first quarter / increase of 5.8 percent

• 929,500 vehicles delivered in March / +7.6 percent*
• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: "All in all, first-quarter deliveries very satisfactory. Prospect of return to modest growth on markets in Western Europe."

The Volkswagen Group delivered 2.40 (January-March 2013: 2.27; +5.8 percent)* million vehicles from January to March. Deliveries in the month of March ran at 929,500 (March 2013: 864,100; +7.6 percent)* units. "All in all, we are very satisfied with the way deliveries developed in the first three months", Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday, and added: "The positive momentum in the Asia-Pacific region continued, with China remaining the Group's largest single market. Furthermore, there are signs of a return to modest growth on the markets in Western Europe. In terms of Group brands, Audi, ŠKODA and also SEAT recorded the highest percentage increases, with deliveries in some cases rising quite significantly."

Group brands delivered 958,600 (881,600; +8.7 percent) vehicles on the overall European market in the first quarter, of which 516,600 (477,400; +8.2 percent) were handed over to customers in Western Europe (excluding Germany). In the home market of Germany, 282,800 (262,100; +7.9 percent) customers chose a new car from the Volkswagen Group, while Europe's largest automaker delivered 159,200 (142,100; +12.0 percent) vehicles in the Central and Eastern Europe region. In Russia, 65,900 (67,300; -2.1 percent) customers took delivery of a new vehicle. 

The company delivered 197,300 (205,700; -4.1 percent) vehicles in the North America region from January to March, of which 133,500 (142,800; -6.5 percent) were handed over in the United States. In the South America region, the Volkswagen Group delivered 168,600 (219,200; -23.1 percent) units to customers during the same period, of which 127,700 (160,600; -20.5 percent) vehicles were delivered in Brazil.

The Group continued to record very encouraging figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where 978,700 (860,700; +13.7 percent) vehicles were delivered to customers in the first quarter, of which 880,700 (769,200; +14.5 percent) units were handed over in China, the Group's largest single market. In contrast, deliveries in India declined to 18,100 (25,900; -30.4 percent).

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.48 (1.43; +3.9 percent) million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to March. The brand continued to develop well in the Asia-Pacific region, handing over 740,100 (653,500; +13.3 percent) units there. Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 422,300 (396,200; +6.6 percent) vehicles to customers on the overall European market and handed over 133,100 (126,500; +5.3 percent) units to customers in the home market of Germany.

Audi delivered 412,800 (369,500; +11.7 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first quarter. Deliveries by the premium brand from Ingolstadt developed well in the Asia-Pacific region, where 150,700 (124,200; +21.3 percent) models were handed over to customers. Audi delivered 42,700 (41,100) vehicles in the North America region during the same period, an increase of 3.9 percent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 38,700 (37,000; +4.5 percent) vehicles in the period to March. Demand for vehicles built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly high in the Asia-Pacific region, where 13,200 (11,700; +13.5 percent) units were handed over, and in the North America region, where 11,100 (10,500; +5.3 percent) customers took possession of a new model. 

ŠKODA grew deliveries by 12.1 percent in the first three months, handing over a total of 247,200 (220,400) vehicles. The Czech automaker delivered 63,900 (53,900; +18.6 percent) units in Central and Eastern Europe and also grew deliveries in Western Europe (excluding Germany), handing over 69,600 (58,400; +19.1 percent) vehicles to customers there.

SEAT delivered 93,400 (87,100) vehicles worldwide in the period to March, an increase of 7.3 percent. The Spanish brand performed particularly well in Germany, where deliveries rose by 14.8 percent to 19,000 (16,600), and in UK, where deliveries ran at 13,900 (11,500; +21.0 percent) units. SEAT also recorded significant growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 5,700 (3,100; +85.6 percent) vehicles were handed over in the period to March.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 120,900 (123,700; -2.3 percent) vehicles to customers in the first quarter, of which 76,200 (70,200; +8.5 percent) units were handed over on the overall European market. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also grew deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region, handing over 5,300 (4,400) vehicles to customer there, an increase of 20.1 percent.

*) excluding MAN and Scania