The Volkswagen Group delivered 2.40 (January-March 2013: 2.27; +5.8 per cent)* million vehicles from January to March

929,500 vehicles delivered in March / +7.6 per cent*

► Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: “All in all, first-quarter deliveries very satisfactory. Prospect of return to modest growth on markets in Western Europe.”

Wolfsburg--April 15, 2014: The Volkswagen Group delivered 2.40 (January-March 2013: 2.27; +5.8 per cent)* million vehicles from January to March. Deliveries in the month of March ran at 929,500 (March 2013: 864,100; +7.6 per cent)* units. “All in all, we are very satisfied with the way deliveries developed in the first three months,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said, and added: “The positive momentum in the Asia-Pacific region continued, with China remaining the Group’s largest single market. Furthermore, there are signs of a return to modest growth on the markets in Western Europe. In terms of Group brands, Audi, ŠKODA and also SEAT recorded the highest per centage increases, with deliveries in some cases rising quite significantly.”

Group brands delivered 958,600 (881,600; +8.7 per cent) vehicles on the overall European market in the first quarter, of which 516,600 (477,400; +8.2 per cent) were handed over to customers in Western Europe (excluding Germany). In the home market of Germany, 282,800 (262,100; +7.9 per cent) customers chose a new car from the Volkswagen Group, while Europe’s largest automaker delivered 159,200 (142,100; +12.0 per cent) vehicles in the Central and Eastern Europe region. In Russia, 65,900 (67,300; -2.1 per cent) customers took delivery of a new vehicle.

The company delivered 197,300 (205,700; -4.1 per cent) vehicles in the North America region from January to March, of which 133,500 (142,800; -6.5 per cent) were handed over in the United States. In the South America region, the Volkswagen Group delivered 168,600 (219,200; -23.1 per cent) units to customers during the same period, of which 127,700 (160,600; -20.5 per cent) vehicles were delivered in Brazil.

The Group continued to record very encouraging figures in the Asia-Pacific region, where 978,700 (860,700; +13.7 per cent) vehicles were delivered to customers in the first quarter, of which 880,700 (769,200; +14.5 per cent) units were handed over in China, the Group’s largest single market. In contrast, deliveries in India declined to 18,100 (25,900; -30.4 per cent).

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.48 (1.43; +3.9 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to March. The brand continued to develop well in the Asia-Pacific region, handing over 740,100 (653,500; +13.3 per cent) units there. Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 422,300 (396,200; +6.6 per cent) vehicles to customers on the overall European market and handed over 133,100 (126,500; +5.3 per cent) units to customers in the home market of Germany.

Audi delivered 412,800 (369,500; +11.7 per cent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first quarter. Deliveries by the premium brand from Ingolstadt developed well in the Asia-Pacific region, where 150,700 (124,200; +21.3 per cent) models were handed over to customers. Audi delivered 42,700 (41,100) vehicles in the North America region during the same period, an increase of 3.9 per cent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 38,700 (37,000; +4.5 per cent) vehicles in the period to March. Demand for vehicles built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly high in the Asia-Pacific region, where 13,200 (11,700; +13.5 per cent) units were handed over, and in the North America region, where 11,100 (10,500; +5.3 per cent) customers took possession of a new model.

ŠKODA grew deliveries by 12.1 per cent in the first three months, handing over a total of 247,200 (220,400) vehicles. The Czech automaker delivered 63,900 (53,900; +18.6 per cent) units in Central and Eastern Europe and also grew deliveries in Western Europe (excluding Germany), handing over 69,600 (58,400; +19.1 per cent) vehicles to customers there.

SEAT delivered 93,400 (87,100) vehicles worldwide in the period to March, an increase of 7.3 per cent. The Spanish brand performed particularly well in Germany, where deliveries rose by 14.8 per cent to 19,000 (16,600), and in UK, where deliveries ran at 13,900 (11,500; +21.0 per cent) units. SEAT also recorded significant growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 5,700 (3,100; +85.6 per cent) vehicles were handed over in the period to March.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 120,900 (123,700; -2.3 per cent) vehicles to customers in the first quarter, of which 76,200 (70,200; +8.5 per cent) units were handed over on the overall European market. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also grew deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region, handing over 5,300 (4,400) vehicles to customer there, an increase of 20.1 per cen