Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand Again Delivers Well Over 400,000 Vehicles in January

-- Board Member for Sales Klingler: "Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand makes stable start to new year"

FYI: Volkswagen Buyer's Guide

WOLFSBURG, Germany--Feb. 14, 2012:  The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand reported robust delivery figures for the beginning of this year: The company handed over 419,200 (January 2011: 418,600; +0.1 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in January. "The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand made a stable start to the new year. Despite volatile developments, particularly in Europe, we maintained deliveries at last year's high level thanks to our young and innovative product range," Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented in Wolfsburg on Tuesday.

There were considerable differences in the sales situation on world markets. In the North America region, Volkswagen Passenger Cars grew deliveries to 39,600 (30,400; +30.2 percent) units. In the United States, the region's largest single market, the brand handed over 27,200 (18,400) vehicles to customers, representing an increase of 47.9 percent. In the South America region, Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 64,400 (62,400; +3.2 percent) vehicles. The brand reported a 6.9 percent decrease in deliveries in the Asia / Pacific region in January, handing over 174,700 (187,700) vehicles, of which 159,900 (175,000; -8.6 percent) units were sold in China (incl. Hong Kong), the region's largest single market. The reason for the decrease was the Chinese New Year festival, which took place much earlier this year. In contrast, Volkswagen Passenger Cars reported significant gains in India, with deliveries growing 42.2 percent to 5,800 (4,000) units.

On the overall European market, the brand reported a slight rise of 0.8 percent in January to 125,500 (124,500) units. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), a region currently characterized by uncertainty, deliveries contracted slightly, with Volkswagen Passenger Cars handing over 69,100 (71,200; -2.9 percent) vehicles to customers. 39,600 (43,300; -8.4 percent) vehicles were delivered in the home market of Germany. In the Central and Eastern Europe region, on the other hand, the brand reported a striking 67.0 percent increase in deliveries to 16,800 (10,000) units. In Russia, Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 9,300 (4,300; +118.4 percent) vehicles, thus more than doubling its deliveries there.