In the race with Toyota to become the largest auto maker in the world, the Volkswagen Group delivered 2.49 million vehicles worldwide, between January to March 2015 (January-March 2014: 2.44; +1.8 percent). The giant handed over 968,300 (March 2014: 946,900; +2.3 percent) vehicles to customers in the month of March, however, according to group board member for sales Christian Klinger, the delivery trend for the first three months doesn’t guarantee that the year 2015 will be successful for the group. Reason for this being the prevailing uncertainty in Central and Eastern Europe, along with South America, although Western Europe did display some positive momentum.
Group brands delivered a total of 1.02 (0.98; +4.1 percent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the first quarter, of which 556,100 (525,100; +5.9 percent) were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 314,800 (288,700; +9.1 percent) customers chose a new vehicle from the Group in the home market of Germany, while Europe’s largest automaker delivered 147,500 (165,000; -10.6 percent) units in Central and Eastern Europe. In Russia 43,500 (68,300; -36.4 percent) customers took possession of a new vehicle. The Company delivered 205,800 (197,800; +4.1 percent) vehicles in the North America region from January to March, of which 131,600 (133,500; -1.4 percent) were handed over in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 152,800 (185,400; -17.6 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period, of which 110,900 (142,300; -22.1 percent) were handed over in Brazil.
The Group recorded slight growth in deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region and reached the million mark for the first time in the first quarter of a year, handing over 1.00 (0.98; +2.1 percent) million vehicles to customers there, of which 898,400 (881,100; +2.0 percent) units were delivered in China, the Group’s largest single market.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.48 (1.50; -1.3 percent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the first quarter of 2015. The premium brand Audi handed over 438,200 (412,800) vehicles in the first three months of the year, an increase of 6.1 percent. The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 51,100 (38,700) vehicles, representing an increase of 32.2 percent compared with the previous year. The Czech brand ŠKODA delivered 265,100 (247,200) vehicles from January to March, a rise of 7.2 percent. SEAT handed over 102,700 (93,400; +10.0 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first quarter.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 108,200 (103,200; +4.8 percent) vehicles during the same period. The MAN brand delivered 22,100 (26,400; -16.4 percent) units from January to March. The Swedish brand Scania delivered 17,500 (18,800; -7.1 percent) heavy trucks and buses to customers in the period to March.