VW Group surpasses none million vehicles for the first time ever, and still we have one month to go.

• 9.08 million units handed over from Jan. to Nov. / +4.6 per cent*
• 834,800 vehicles delivered in November / +0.7 per cent*
• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: “Deliveries on track. Ten million mark within reach.”

The Volkswagen Group delivered over nine million vehicles from January to November for the first time ever this year. 9.08 (January- November 2013: 8.68; +4.6 per cent)* million vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide. 

The company delivered 834,800 (November 2013: 828,900; +0.7 per cent)* vehicles in November. “Deliveries by the Volkswagen Group remain on track during the last few weeks of the year. The ten million mark is within reach in spite of all the uncertainties in the global automotive sector,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday.

Group brands delivered a total of 3.55 (3.36; +5.7 per cent) million vehicles to customers on the overall European market in the period to November, of which 1.83 (1.70; +7.7 per cent) million units were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 1.12 (1.07; +5.0 per cent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle in the home market of Germany, while the company delivered 590,900 (583,600; +1.3 per cent) vehicles in Central and Eastern Europe. 240,700 (276,200; -12.9 per cent) models were handed over to customers in Russia.

The Group delivered 807,700 (807,800) vehicles in the North America region from January to November, of which 542,600 (557,000; -2.6 per cent) were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 667,900 (831,600; -19.7 per cent) vehicles in the South America region during the same period, of which 522,000 (620,000; -15.8 per cent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

The Group continued to record encouraging figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where 3.67 (3.29; +11.7 per cent) million vehicles were handed over to customers in the period to November, of which 3.34 (2.96; +12.9 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 5.59 (5.48; +2.0 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to November. The brand continued to develop well in the Asia-Pacific region,handing over 2.72 (2.46; +10.6 per cent) million units there. The brand grew deliveries on the overall European market to 1.54 (1.51; +2.4 per cent) million units.

Audi delivered 1.59 (1.44; +10.1 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the period to November. The premium brand developed well in the Asia-Pacific region, handing over 608,100 (522,400; +16.4 per cent) models to customers there. Audi delivered 196,800 (170,500) vehicles in the North America region during the same period, an increase of 15.5 per cent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 169,200 (147,300; +14.9 per cent) vehicles from January to November. Demand for models from the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly high in the Asia-Pacific region, where 54,400 (45,100; +20.5 per cent) vehicles were delivered, and on the overall European market, where 54,500 (46,000; +18.3 per cent) models were handed over to customers.

ŠKODA delivered 955,300 (850,700; +12.3 per cent) vehicles to customers in the eleven-month period. The Czech automaker handed over 634,900 (566,600) vehicles to customers on the overall European market, an increase of 12.1 per cent. ŠKODA also grew deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region, where 271,100 (244,000; +11.1 per cent) vehicles were handed over to customers.

SEAT delivered 359,400 (324,500; +10.7 per cent) vehicles worldwide in the period to November. Deliveries on the overall European market increased to 302,300 (265,500; +13.9 per cent) units. SEAT also grew deliveries in Germany, where the company handed over 78,500 (70,900; +10.8 per cent) models to customers, and in Central and Eastern Europe, where 22,700 (15,400; +47.1 per cent) units were delivered.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles handed over 401,400 (419,300;-4.3 per cent) vehicles to customers from January to November, of which 297,700 (284,500; +4.6 per cent) units were delivered on the overall European market. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also recorded growth in the Asia-Pacific region, where the company handed over 20,300 (18,800; +7.7 per cent) vehicles to customers.

USA - RECALL - Toyota announces yet more recalls,1.9 million Prius could automaticaly shut down if not fixed

North American Toyota dealers will be asked to reprogram software in about 713,000 Toyota Prius cars that are being recalled to fix a hybrid control unit glitch that can cause the cars to automatically shut down and enter a limp-home failsafe mode.

Toyota Motor Corp. today announced the global recall of the third-generation hybrid vehicle, the flagship of the carmaker's gasoline-electric fleet.

The global callback extends to 1.9 million Prius models, making it the biggest recall of the world's best-selling hybrid. About 713,000 of those cars are in North America, and another 997,000 are in Japan. The recall affects 130,000 more cars in Europe.

The remainder is sprinkled across Oceania, the Middle East, China and other markets.

The software update should take about 40 minutes, Toyota spokeswoman Shino Yamada said. But if the update doesn't take, a control module would then need to be replaced, a fix taking about three hours. Dealers will be notified today, Toyota said.

The software problem causes a glitchy boost converter, which can lead to overheating that can, in turn, damage or deform transistors, Toyota said.

That can trigger warning lights or cause the car to enter a failsafe mode in which its engine power is reduced just enough to bring the car to the side of the road.

The problem was first reported in May 2011 in the United States. In that instance, a warning light went off and the car entered the failsafe mode.

No injuries or accidents have been reported because of the problem, Yamada said.

The affected cars were built between March 2009 and Feb. 5, 2014.

The campaign marks the third major recall for the third-generation Prius, which debuted in 2009. In February 2010, Toyota called back 397,000 vehicles worldwide to fix an anti-lock brake software glitch. That callback happened at the height of Toyota's unintended acceleration recall crisis. Last June, it recalled 87,000 third-generation Prius – all in North America – to fix a brake pressure accumulator.

"My impression is Toyota is recalling more often, even with very minor flaws" with its vehicles, said Yuuki Sakurai, the Tokyo-based president of Fukoku Capital Management. "Toyota learned its lesson from the big recalls in 2009 and 2010."

Aside from the Prius, Toyota said it will recall about 260,000 other vehicles in the U.S. That campaign involves a separate issue with the 2012 and 2013 model years of the Toyota Tacoma pickup, the Lexus RX 350 sport utility vehicle and the 2012 Toyota RAV4 SUV.

A software issue with those models can cause their stability, anti-lock braking and traction controls to intermittently turn off, though the standard braking operation in those vehicles would remain fully functional, according to a statement on the company's U.S. website.

REPORT HERE