Volkswagen Group Delivers Just Under Six Million Vehicles to Customers For First Time in Period From January to October

BOTANY, AUSTRALIA – November 15, 2010: The Volkswagen Group again outperformed the global automotive market in the first ten months of the current year, delivering a total 5.98 (January to October 2009: 5.32; +12.4 percent)* million vehicles to customers. A record 612,200 (557,400)** units were delivered in October alone. While the market only picked up by 4.5 percent, the Group reported a 9.8 percent rise in the month of October. “We are continuing to gain global market share. We expect this trend to continue over the coming months as we systematically progress with our model initiative,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said on Friday in Wolfsburg. “We are still monitoring the automotive market, which is evidencing different trends in different regions, very closely. We are on track to achieve a pleasing increase in worldwide deliveries for the full year.”

Group increases deliveries in established markets and growth regions
The Volkswagen Group reported continued high growth on key markets such as China or the USA. Deliveries during the first ten months grew 38.4 percent to 1.65 (1.19) million vehicles in China and to 295,900 (245,200; +20.7 percent) in the USA. Volkswagen Group deliveries in the Asia/Pacific region also increased, rising 39.1 percent to 1.83 (1.31) million units.

Deliveries on the European market were also up on the previous year. The Volkswagen Group delivered 2.78 (2.77; +0.2 percent) million vehicles, a slight increase compared with the period January to October 2009, while the overall market contracted by 3.1 percent. Europe’s largest automaker intensified its upward trend in Russia, where the Group delivered 105,000 (79,700, +31.8 percent) vehicles in the first ten months. The Volkswagen Group stayed on its growth path in West European markets as well, with deliveries increasing by 13.8 percent (Western Europe excluding Germany).

The German automobile market, on the other hand, continued to decline. The market contracted by 26.8 percent during the first ten months due to the effects of the scrapping premium. The Volkswagen Group performed noticeably better than the market, delivering 859,300 (1,070,300; -19.7 percent) vehicles to customers.

All volume brands grow deliveries
In the first ten months, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered a total of 3.78 (3.37; +12.2 percent) million units. The brand achieved very pleasing growth on key markets such as China (+34.1 percent), the USA (+20.3 percent) and Russia (+34.1 percent). Over the same period, the brand continued its rapid growth on the Indian market: Deliveries increased more than eightfold to 20,200 (2,400) units.

Audi delivered approximately 916,900 (787,710) vehicles worldwide from January to October, representing an increase of 16.4 percent. Deliveries in October alone ran at approximately 87,600 units. In the coming months, the new Audi A1 and A7 models in particular are expected to help drive sales.

The Czech automaker Škoda handed over 69,200 (65,600; +5.5 percent) vehicles to customers in October, thus continuing its growth path. In the first ten months of this year, Škoda grew worldwide deliveries by 11.9 percent to 638,200 (570,200) units.

The Spanish brand SEAT showed a stable trend from January to October, delivering 285,200 (285,100) vehicles to customers worldwide. During this period, the brand reported a further marked increase of 16.8 percent on its home market of Spain, with deliveries to customers there totaling 80,100 (68,600) units.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reported an appreciable 17.4 percent rise for the first ten months, delivering 349,000 (297,300) units. On West European markets, the company reported a 21.4 percent rise to 106,500 (87,700) units (Western Europe excluding Germany), while the increase in South America was as high as 63.0 percent (91,700; 56,200).