Volkswagen Group reports 14.6 percent rise in global vehicle deliveries from January to May

The Volkswagen Group reported a further rise in global deliveries from January to May this year. For the first time, deliveries to customers during this period topped the three million mark, running at 3.37 (January – May 2010: 2.94; +14.6 percent)* million units. Europe’s largest automaker therefore once again performed noticeably better than the world market (+6.8 percent). May was also a good month, with 708,900 (May 2010: 604,000; +17.4 percent)* vehicles handed over to customers. “We are very pleased with developments during the first five months of this year. The Volkswagen Group with its very convincing model range is benefiting from brisk demand on global automobile markets,” Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday.

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Overall, the Group brands delivered 1.56 (1.42; +9.6 percent) million vehicles throughout Europe in the first five months. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 882,000 (829,800; +6.3 percent) customers took delivery of a new vehicle. The Group brands reported continued high growth in Central and Eastern Europe, delivering 202,300 (156,100; +29.6 percent) units. In Germany, its home market, the Volkswagen Group achieved 8.7 percent growth, delivering 475,100 (437,000) vehicles.Deliveries on the American continent also increased noticeably. The number of vehicles sold in the North America region grew 19.7 percent in the period to May to 261,600 (218,500) units, of which 172,400 (145,500; +18.5 percent) vehicles were delivered in the U.S. market. The Volkswagen Group handed over 376,800 (344,600; +9.3 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period.

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The Group also reported a significant rise in deliveries in the Asia / Pacific region, with 1.04 (0.86; +21.6 percent) million vehicles handed over to customers in the period from January to May, of which 921,100 (777,800; +18.4 percent) units were delivered in China, the region’s largest single market. The company also recorded a further very robust increase in the fast growing India market, where 46,200 (13,500; +242.0 percent) vehicles were delivered.The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered more than two million vehicles for the first time in the period from January to May. In total, 2.09 (1.86; +12.2 percent) million vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide. The brand developed particularly well in the Asia / Pacific (+18.9 percent) and North America (+19.7 percent) regions.

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Audi delivered 535,400 (455,600; +17.5 percent) vehicles worldwide during the first five months. The premium brand from Ingolstadt performed particularly well in the regions of North America (+17.0 percent), South America (+26.8 percent) and Asia / Pacific (+26.7 percent). The Škoda brand delivered 373,400 (307,400; +21.5 percent) vehicles worldwide from January to May. The Czech automaker developed particularly well in Central and Eastern Europe (+22.9 percent) and in the Asia / Pacific region (+37.5 percent).

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SEAT delivered 152,500 (147,600) vehicles worldwide in the first five months, an increase of 3.3 percent. The Spanish brand reported growth in particular in Germany (+28.2 percent), Italy (+12.7 percent) and France (+14.0 percent). Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 213,000 (162,100; +31.4 percent) vehicles to customers from January to May, reporting particularly strong growth in the regions of South America (+40.3 percent), Asia / Pacific (+34.4 percent) and Central and Eastern Europe (+58.3 percent).