Volkswagen Group Delivers Over Six Million Vehicles In Period To End Of August

WOLFSBURG – Sept 16, 2013: For the first time the Volkswagen Group delivered over six million vehicles in the first eight months of a year. The company grew deliveries from January to August 2013 to 6.17 (January-August 2012: 5.91; +4.5 per cent)* million vehicles. Deliveries in the month of August remained stable at 720,400 units (August 2012: 719,500; +0.1 per cent)*. “The Volkswagen Group is in robust shape despite the economic uncertainty, and our development in the period to August remained satisfactory. For the first time, we delivered over six million vehicles to customers in the first eight months of a year,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday, and added: “Notwithstanding the difficult conditions, we still expect deliveries for the full year to exceed the prior-year level.”

The Group brands delivered a total of 2.39 (2.47; -3.3 per cent) million vehicles to customers on the overall European market from January to August. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 1.22 (1.25; -2.7 per cent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle. 757,300 (792,300; -4.4 per cent) vehicles were delivered on the home market of Germany. The Group handed over 415,000 (426,700; -2.7 per cent) vehicles to customers in the Central and Eastern Europe region in the period to August, of which 199,800 (206,800; -3.4 per cent) units were delivered in Russia.

Trends varied in the Americas. Deliveries in the North America region in the period to August grew by 10.9 per cent to 593,700 (535,300) vehicles, of which 414,800 (379,900; +9.2 per cent) units were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 605,600 (678,500; -10.8 per cent) vehicles in the South America region during the same period, of which 447,600 (518,700; -13.7 per cent) units were handed over to customers in Brazil.

Group delivery figures for the Asia-Pacific region remained encouraging. 2.30 (1.98; +16.2 per cent) million vehicles were handed over to customers there in the first eight months. In China (excluding Hong Kong), the region’s largest single market, deliveries topped the two million mark for the first time in an eight-month period, with 2.05 (1.74; +17.9 per cent) million customers taking possession of a new vehicle. In India 63,600 (77,400; -17.9 per cent) customers took delivery of a new Group model.

Outline of developments at Group brands
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 3.84 (3.72; +3.1 per cent) million vehicles worldwide from January to August. The brand developed particularly well in China, where 1.56 (1.31; +18.4 per cent) million units were handed over to customers, and in Mexico, where 92,100 (77,800; +18.3 per cent) customers took possession of a new Volkswagen.

Audi delivered 1.03 (0.96) vehicles worldwide in the period to August; this not only represented an increase of 7.2 per cent, but was also a new record for this period. The premium brand from Ingolstadt benefited inter alia from significant growth in China, where 310,300 (259,700; +19.5 per cent) vehicles were handed over to customers. The brand also grew deliveries in the United States by 14.7 per cent compared with the same prior-year period, handing over 101,300 (88,400) automobiles.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 106,800 vehicles in the first eight months. At 32,500 units, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share, with a further 31,400 units handed over to customers in the North America region.

The ŠKODA brand delivered 598,400 (633,300; -5.5 per cent) vehicles worldwide from January to August. The company handed over 393,200 (415,000; -5.2 per cent) models on the overall European market. 156,300 (159,400; -1.9 per cent) vehicles were delivered in China during the same period.

SEAT delivered 234,200 (210,100; +11.4 per cent) vehicles worldwide in the period to August. The company handed over 191,700 (176,700; +8.5 per cent) vehicles to customers on the overall European market. Developments on the German market were particularly encouraging, with deliveries there increasing by 26.4 per cent to 50,600 (40,000) units.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles continued to record stable development in the period to August, delivering 358,400 (362,200; -1.1 per cent) vehicles. 104,200 (106,100; -1.8 per cent) vehicles were delivered to customers in Western Europe (excluding Germany) under difficult market conditions. In contrast, deliveries in the South America region developed well, with customers taking delivery of 104,100 (96,100; +8.2 per cent) units.