Volkswagen Group: January - November Vehicle Deliveries Exceed Eight Million For First Time

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – Dec 17, 2012: The Volkswagen Group recorded a further increase in worldwide vehicle deliveries from January to November, topping the eight million mark for the first time in this period. In total, 8.29 (January – November 2011: 7.51; +10.4 per cent) million vehicles were handed over to customers in eleven months. The Group also performed well in the month of November, delivering 794,500 (November 2011: 711,500; +11.7 per cent)* units. ‘We have already delivered more vehicles after eleven months than during the whole of last year. That is an outstanding achievement, particularly in view of the continuing difficult situation on some European markets,’ Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday, and added: ‘Despite this year’s new delivery record we are already preparing for a very challenging year in 2013.’

Group brands delivered a total of 3.40 (3.38; +0.7 per cent) million vehicles on the overall European market from January to November. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 1.71 (1.82; - 6.0 per cent) million customers took delivery of a new vehicle. In its home market of Germany, the Volkswagen Group grew deliveries by 3.4 per cent to 1.10 (1.06) million units. Group brands recorded growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 590,800 (494,900; +19.4 per cent) vehicles were handed over to customers, of which 290,100 (203,100; +42.9 per cent) were delivered in Russia, the region’s largest single market.

Deliveries on the American continent also developed well with the number of vehicles handed over in the North America region in the period to November growing 26.1 per cent to 757,300 (600,700) units, of which 534,000 (398,700; +33.9 per cent) were delivered in the United States. The Volkswagen Group handed over 923,800 (855,600; +8.0 per cent) vehicles to customers in South America during the same period, of which 709,000 (645,500; +9.8 per cent) were delivered in Brazil, the region’s largest single market.

The Group also recorded very satisfactory figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where 2.86

(2.39; +19.5 per cent) million vehicles were handed over to customers in eleven months, of which 2.53 (2.11; +20.2 per cent) million units were delivered in China, the region’s largest single market. In India, 104,000 (100,700; +3.3 per cent) customers took possession of a new vehicle.

Outline of developments at Group brands
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 5.22 (4.69; +11.2 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the period to November. The brand developed particularly well in the United States, where 394,100 (291,900; +35.0 per cent) units were delivered. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 246,500 (195,900; +25.9 per cent) vehicles in the Central and Eastern Europe region during the same period.

Audi delivered 1.34 (1.19) million vehicles worldwide in the period to November, an increase of 12.7 per cent. The premium brand from Ingolstadt benefited among other things from substantial growth in China, where customers took possession of 370,600 (283,600; +30.7 per cent) vehicles. In the United States the brand grew deliveries 18.6 per cent compared with the prior-year period to 124,500 (104,900) models.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 47,400 vehicles from August to November. Demand for models built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, where 14,900 vehicles were handed over, and in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where deliveries ran at 2,300.

The ŠKODA brand delivered a total of 873,000 (816,800; +6.9 per cent) vehicles worldwide from January to November. The company performed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where customers took possession of 237,500 (210,000; +13.1 per cent) new vehicles. ŠKODA deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region increased to 264,500 (242,100; +9.3 per cent) units.

SEAT delivered 293,800 (320,000; -8.2 per cent) vehicles worldwide in the period to November. Markets in the Europe region remained difficult with the company handing over 242,400 (285,300; -15.0 per cent) vehicles to customers. Deliveries developed well in Germany, where 57,900 (48,500; +19.3 per cent) units were handed over, and the UK, where 36,300 (33,600; +8.0 per cent) customers chose a SEAT model, as well as Mexico, where 18,900 (15,800; +19.5 per cent) vehicles were delivered.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew deliveries 4.6 per cent to 501,000 (479,000) units in the period to November. 113,200 (112,300; +0.8 per cent) models were handed over to customers in the home market of Germany. Deliveries also developed very well in Central and Eastern Europe, where customers took possession of 37,700 (32,300; +16.7 per cent) units.