Volkswagen Group makes stable start to second quarter: Deliveries top three million vehicles* in period to April

The Volkswagen Group delivered 3.05 (January-April 2012: 2.89; +5.6 percent)* million vehicles from January to April, topping the three million mark for the first time for the first four months of a year. The company handed over 784,600 (April 2012: 731,900; +7.2 percent)* vehicles to customers in the month of April. “The Volkswagen Group and its brands made a satisfactory start to the second quarter”, Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday. Klingler went on to say: “Nevertheless, the market environment remains difficult, and is very challenging in some world regions. The economic crisis in Europe in particular is having an increasing impact on the automobile industry. However, growth continues on the markets in North America and, above all, Asia, so we are optimistic we will be able to maintain the momentum of the first three months in the second quarter.”

The situation on the overall European market remains tense. Group brands delivered 1.21 (1.25; -3.9 percent) million vehicles on this market in the first four months of the year, of which 635,900 (661,400; -3.9 percent) units were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). On the home market of Germany, 370,200 (387,500; -4.4 percent) customers opted for a new vehicle from the Volkswagen Group, while the company delivered 199,100 (205,100; -2.9 percent) units in the Central and Eastern Europe region. Deliveries in Russia, where 94,900 (94,500; +0.4 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, remained stable.

There was a more positive trend in North America. From January to April deliveries in this region grew 12.9 percent to 279,900 (247,900) vehicles, of which 193,900 (173,700; +11.6 percent) were handed over to customers in the USA. The Volkswagen Group delivered 292,000 (296,900; -1.6 percent) units in the South America region during the same period, of which 213,500 (214,300; -0.4 percent) were handed over in Brazil.

Group figures for the Asia-Pacific region remained encouraging. 1.14 (0.98; +16.5 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers there in the period to April, of which 1.02 (0.86; +18.4 percent) million units were delivered in China, the region’s largest single market. In contrast, deliveries in India dropped to 33,400 (43,500; -23.1 percent) vehicles.

Outline of developments at Group brands


The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.91 (1.81; +5.3 percent) million vehicles worldwide from January to April. The brand continued to develop well in the Asia-Pacific region, where deliveries ran at 855,100 (725,100; +17.9 percent) units. In the North America region, Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 196,200 (187,900; +4.4 percent) vehicles to customers, while deliveries on the overall European market, which remained difficult, ran at 545,300 (589,800; -7.5 percent) units.

Audi delivered 503,000 (471,300; +6.7 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the period to April. Deliveries by the premium brand from Ingolstadt developed well in the Asia-Pacific region, where 169,500 (147,300; +15.1 percent) models were handed over to customers. Audi delivered 57,400 (50,100) vehicles in the North America region during the same period, an increase of 14.5 percent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 52,200 vehicles from January to April. At 15,700 units, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share, with a further 15,000 units handed over to customers in the North America region.

ŠKODA delivered a total of 298,000 (324,100; -8.0 percent) vehicles in the first four months of the year. The Czech automaker handed over 75,200 (84,700; -11.2 percent) units in Central and Eastern Europe, and 88,300 (96,500; -8.5 percent) vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region.

SEAT delivered 117,100 (105,000; +11.5 percent) vehicles worldwide in the period to April, continuing the upward trend. There was marked growth in Germany in particular, where deliveries increased to 23,700 (18,200; +30.6 percent) units. SEAT also grew deliveries in the UK, where the company handed over 14,800 (13,600; +9.0 percent) units, and in Mexico, where 7,400 (6,800; +8.5 percent) vehicles were delivered.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles handed over 170,700 (174,200; -2.0 percent) vehicles to customers in the first four months of the year, of which 97,800 (107,300; -8.9 percent) were delivered on the overall European market. In contrast, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region, where the company handed over 6,200 (5,500; +13.6 percent) vehicles to customers. The brand also recorded double-digit growth in the South America region, delivering 48,600 (43,400; +12.0 percent) vehicles there.

*) including deliveries by the Porsche brand from August 1, 2012; excluding MAN and Scania