The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.43 (January – March 2012: 1.36; +5.2 percent) million vehicles in the first three months of the year. There was, however, a slight decline in deliveries for the month of March, with the brand handing over 532,400 (March 2012: 536,700; -0.8 percent) vehicles to customers. “There were mixed developments on markets worldwide for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. While there was further growth in Asia and North America in particular, deliveries declined in other regions such as Western Europe and South America. As expected, markets are becoming more difficult, and in some cases decidedly more challenging”, Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said in Wolfsburg on Tuesday.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 396,300 (441,800; -10.3 percent) vehicles on the overall European market in the first quarter, of which 208,800 (232,600; -10.2 percent) were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). There was also a downward trend in the home market of Germany, where customers took possession of 126,500 (149,000; -15.1 percent) new vehicles. In contrast, Volkswagen Passenger Cars recorded slight growth in Central and Eastern Europe in the period to March, with deliveries running at 61,000 (60,200; +1.4 percent) units. The company handed over 35,300 (35,800; -1.4 percent) vehicles to customers in Russia.
In the Asia-Pacific region the brand grew deliveries by 20.9 percent in the period to March, handing over 653,500 (540,600) units. In China (incl. Hong Kong), 598,100 (483,400; +23.7 percent) vehicles were delivered during the same period. In India, on the other hand, deliveries fell to 16,600 (20,400; -18.5 percent) units. In the North America region, Volkswagen Passenger Cars grew deliveries by 7.3 percent to 145,700 (135,700) units, of which 98,200 (94,400; +4.0 percent) models were handed over to customers in the United States. However, in the South America region there was a 7.3 percent drop in deliveries to 176,600 (190,500) units, of which 131,200 (138,600; -5.3 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers in Brazil.