USA - Volkswagen has eventually agreed a settlement with US authorities to eventually deal with the diesel scandal.

Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and certain affiliates (together, Volkswagen) announced today that Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has granted final approval to the settlement agreement between Volkswagen and private plaintiffs represented by a Court-appointed Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) to resolve civil claims regarding eligible Volkswagen and Audi 2.0L TDI vehicles in the United States. 

Concurrently, Judge Breyer also approved a Consent Decree between Volkswagen and the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of California by and through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Attorney General; and a Consent Order between Volkswagen and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. 

All three agreements were previously announced.

“Final approval of the 2.0L TDI settlement is an important milestone in our journey to making things right in the United States, and we appreciate the efforts of all parties involved in this process. 

Volkswagen is committed to ensuring that the program is now carried out as seamlessly as possible for our affected customers and has devoted significant resources and personnel to making their experience a positive one,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Volkswagen remains focused on resolving other outstanding issues in the United States and continues to work towards an agreed resolution for customers with affected 3.0L TDI V6 diesel engines.

USA - The Porsche brand has again won the overall classification of the prestigious J.D. Power APEAL Study

Vehicles by Porsche take top places

The Porsche brand has again won the overall classification of the prestigious J.D. Power APEAL Study by the US market research institute J.D. Power. In addition, the models Porsche 911 Boxster and Macan secured the first places in their categories. Taking part in the survey were more than 80,000 owners of new cars, who evaluated more than 245 models by 33 manufacturers in 10 categories.

“The results of the customer survey confirm our strategy,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “At the centre of attention in all business units is the enthusiasm of our customers. It is not only the products but also the service and communication with our customers around the world that are so important for us.”

The renewed top placing for the Porsche brand means that the sports car manufacturer has achieved the highest ranking in the overall classification for the twelfth time in succession. Since 2004, US customers have thus been demonstrating that the sports car from Zuffenhausen has the most satisfied customers. With 877 from a total of 1,000 possible points, Porsche is in first place this year once again.

Apart from the overall rankings, three models from Porsche were also able to achieve a clear decision in their categories. The 911 came top in the category “Midsize Premium Sporty Car” with 893 points. 

The Porsche Boxster was able to achieve victory in the category “Compact Premium Sporty Car” with 892 points. And the Macan, as youngest member of the model family, scored 876 points to lead in the category “Compact Premium SUV”.

In the APEAL Study, which takes place once a year, J.D. Power surveys new car customers 90 days after they have taken delivery of their vehicle. 

This year’s 21st edition of the Study questioned US new car drivers on 77 characteristics in 10 categories between November 2015 and February 2016. Among the attributes evaluated by the owners were “interior” and “driving dynamics”.

Porsche Cars China see's slow and steady growth after a big spurt at the start of the year.

Porsche AG's China sales rose 3.7 percent year on year to 30,440 vehicles in the first six months -- evidence that red-hot demand for the company's models early this year has cooled.

In the first three months, Porsche deliveries had risen 24 percent on strong demand for the Macan and Cayenne crossovers. Those two models generate as much as three-fourths of Porsche's volume in China, a sizzling market for crossovers. Now the company is trying to boost demand in China for the iconic 911 sports car, its top-selling model in Germany. Porsche plans to open a driving experience center in Shanghai this year to allow potential car buyers to test-drive vehicles on the performance track. The company has also added more features on the four-door Panamera without raising prices. Porsche, which had 90 Chinese dealerships last year, will open new stores in smaller cities where it doesn't have a presence. It also plans to add additional stores in cities such as Guangzhou, where it already operates dealerships. Among other Volkswagen Group brands, Audi's China sales rose 5.9 percent to 290,126 in the first six months. Volkswagen has not yet posted June China sales data for its other brands.

HALF YEAR SALES - Porsche continues to grow with the USA and the crossover models helping keep the growth coming.

• Consistent growth in the United States

With 117,963 new vehicle deliveries worldwide, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is up three percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the previous year. Delivering 26,708 vehicles, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. saw a six percent increase compared to the first half of 2015 and ranks among the markets with the highest growth compared to last year. 

These figures meet the expectations of Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board of Management - Sales and Marketing. He emphasized that the high levels achieved in the previous year also determined the objective for 2016. 

"In 2016, consolidating sales in our markets will be of primary importance. With the USA, China and Europe as strong sales regions, Porsche is in a very strong position for the future and is to a large extent independent of the volatility of individual markets", von Platen continued.

The Cayman and the Boxster contributed to this growth significantly: with 6,115 new vehicle deliveries for Cayman and 6,740 for Boxster worldwide, both vehicles are clearly recording double-digit growth rates. 

Compared with the same period last year, the Macan saw an increase of 11 percent with a total of 45,086 new vehicle deliveries, while the 911 registered 18,579 vehicle deliveries (+10 percent). As a result of the upcoming model change, Panamera sales remained lower than the level achieved in the previous year. 

"The feedback following the world premiere of the new Panamera at the end of June has been unequivocally positive, so we are very optimistic about this. We are anticipating a significant boost from this model", stated von Platen.

Porsche Cars North America Chief Executive Officer, Klaus Zellmer, holds a positive outlook for the future as the US market recorded twice the growth rate of the global average. 

"Our loyal customer base and professional dealer network continue to respond positively to our latest 911 and 718 models. We look forward to the second half of 2016 and also to the start of 2017 when the new Panamera will arrive in dealer showrooms in January", commented Zellmer.

	1st Half 2016	1st Half 2015	Difference (%)
World	117,963	113,984	+ 3.5%
Europe	40,646	38,689	+ 5.1%
Germany	15,299	15,061	+ 1.6%
America	31,912	30,119	+ 6.0%
USA	26,708	25,138	+ 6.2%
Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East	45,405	45,176	+ 0.5%
China	30,440	29,355	+ 3.7%

USA SALES JUNE - Porsche manages to creep ahead, the Macan comes to it's aid again, along with updated sports cars.

• U.S. Porsche dealers sell 4,482 vehicles in June

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), importer and distributor of Porsche 911, Boxster, and Cayman sports cars, Macan and Cayenne SUVs, and the Panamera four-door sports sedan line-up in the United States, announced June 2016 sales of 4,482 vehicles today, which represents an increase of 6.9 percent compared to June 2015.

Sports car demand was strong across the board. Cayman sales were up 33.8 percent over June 2015, while the Boxster model line showed a 10.6 percent increase. The 911 model range registered 852 deliveries, representing a 4.8 percent rise compared to June 2015. 

With 1,222 vehicle customer deliveries, the Macan model line continues to remain in high demand, up 14.7 percent when compared to June 2015, while the Panamera recorded a 15.8 percent increase over last year's month with 506 vehicles delivered.

Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned vehicle sales in the U.S. were 1,481 for June 2016, which is an increase of 24.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

Model	June Sales		Year-to-Date
	2016	2015	2016	2015
ALL BOXSTER/CAYMAN	687	567	3,362	3,188
ALL 911	852	813	5,027	5,207
ALL CAYENNE	1,215	1,312	7,992	8,003
ALL PANAMERA	506	437	2,198	2,492
ALL MACAN	1,222	1,065	8,129	6,248
GRAND TOTALS*	4,482	4,194	26,708	25,138

*918 Spyder sales are reflected in relevant grand total figures.