VOLKSWAGEN GROUP see's sales dip in the first four months of the year.

• 3.3 million vehicles handed over in the first four months of 2017
• Fred Kappler, Head of Group Sales: “At the beginning of the second quarter, we were able to increase our deliveries in China”

Since the beginning of the year, the Volkswagen Group has handed over 3.3 million new vehicles to customers. In April, the Group delivered 841,200 vehicles (-1.4 percent). “At the beginning of the second quarter, we wereable to increase our deliveries in China again. 

In April, the development in Volkswagen Group deliveries in Western Europewas better than the market as a whole, which was affected by the late date of the Easter holidays. 

At the same time, we experienced strong tailwind in Central and Eastern Europe, where there was a marked increase in deliveries of newvehicles,” said Fred Kappler, Head of Group Sales of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, summarizing the figures for April.

In Europe, the Group handed 1.5 million vehicles over to its customers in the year to April (+2.8 percent) including 368,600 in April (-1.6 percent). 305,000 vehicles (-3.9 percent) were handed over to customers in Western Europe in April; Group deliveries therefore developed better than the market as a whole. 

113,200 vehicles (-7.2 percent) were handed over to customers in Germany. In Central and Eastern Europe, strong growth has been observed since the beginning of the year. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, Group deliveries grew by 12.0 percent to 233,200 vehicles. 

In April, the Group boosted deliveries in the region by 11.1 percent to 63,600 vehicles.

In the North American market, the Volkswagen Group delivered 293,200 vehicles from January to the end of April (+3.3 percent). 79,500 vehicles were handed over to customers in April, a fall of 3.4 percent. 

In April, 52,000 customers in the USA took delivery of a new vehicle from the Group, representing a rise of 3.0 percent. In South America, a slight rise of 1.5 percent was recorded in April compared with the previous year; 39,400 vehicles were handed over to customers in the region.

Deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region in April reached 320,800 vehicles (-0.2 percent). In total, 1.3 million vehicles (-5.3 percent) were handed over to customers in the region in the first four months of the year. 

On the Chinese market, Group deliveries reached 299,700 vehicles in April (+1.5 percent), rising again for the first time since the beginning of the year.

Overview of deliveries by the Volkswagen Group:

Deliveries to customersby markets	April 2017	April 2016	Change (%)	Jan.-Apr. 2017	Jan.-Apr. 2016	Change (%)
Europe	368,600	374,600	-1.6	1,466,500	1,426,800	+2.8
Western Europe	305,000	317,400	-3.9	1,233,400	1,218,500	+1.2
Germany	113,200	121,900	-7.2	433,400	441,300	-1.8
Central and Eastern Europe	63,600	57,200	+11.1	233,200	208,300	+12.0
Russia	16,000	14,200	+12.3	53,700	50,600	+6.2
North America	79,500	82,300	-3.4	293,200	283,800	+3.3
USA	52,000	50,500	+3.0	187,500	174,500	+7.4
South America	39,400	38,800	+1.5	161,200	149,200	+8.1
Brazil	22,600	24,300	-7.1	90,900	95,500	-4.8
Asia-Pacific	320,800	321,400	-0.2	1,294,500	1,366,900	-5.3
China	299,700	295,300	+1.5	1,191,200	1,250,800	-4.8
Worldwide	841,200	853,300	-1.4	3,336,200	3,361,400	-0.7

Deliveries to customers by brands	April 2017	April 2016	Change (%)	Jan.-Apr. 2017	Jan.-Apr. 2016	Change (%)
Volkswagen Passenger Cars	468,000	476,700	-1.8	1,908,900	1,936,200	-1.4
Audi	156,100	164,300	-5.0	578,700	620,200	-6.7
ŠKODA	97,300	97,200	0.0	380,800	373,900	+1.8
SEAT	41,400	35,700	+16.0	158,700	138,600	+14.5
Porsche	22,100	21,600	+2.5	81,800	77,500	+5.5
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles	39,900	41,400	-3.8	161,700	154,300	+4.8
MAN	8,200	8,300	-1.7	33,400	31,800	+5.1
Scania	7,000	7,000	+0.3	27,700	25,400	+8.8
Volkswagen Group (total)	841,200	853,300	-1.4	3,336,200	3,361,400	-0.7

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.

Volkswagen drops again in the first four months of the year - with a 22,000 drop in sales.

• Brand achieved strongest growth in European markets

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.98 (January-April 2014: 2.02; -2.2 percent) million vehicles in the first four months of the year. 496,100 (April 2014: 521,000; -4.8 percent) models were handed over to customers in April. 

“So far this year, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand achieved its strongest growth in Europe”, Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said. 

“However, developments in the global market situation remain mixed. Russia and the South America region in particular continue to require our full attention,” Klingler continued.

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 582,000 (467,800; +2.5 percent) vehicles on the overall European market in the first four months, of which 318,100 (298,400; +6.6 percent) units were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 

Deliveries on the home market of Germany grew by 7.6 percent to 198,100 (184,100) vehicles. Deliveries in Central and Eastern Europe in the period to April declined: 65,900 (85,300; -22.8 percent) units were handed over there. In Russia, the company delivered 24,300 (45,800; -47.0 percent) vehicles during the same period.

The brand recorded a slight decrease in deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region in the period to April, handing over 972,000 (993,400; -2.2 percent) units there, of which 899,400 (921,400; -2.4 percent) were delivered in China (incl. Hong Kong). 

Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 185,100 (184,400; +0.4 percent) vehicles in the North America region in the period to April, of which 109,200 (118,200; -7.5 percent) models were delivered to their owners in the United States. In the South America region, deliveries from January to April decreased to 167,400 (207,700; -19.4 percent) units, of which 126,100 (165,400; -23.8 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.