The Volkswagen Group announced a strong rise in deliveries during the first quarter of 2012. The company delivered 2.16 (January-March 2011: 1.97; +9.6 percent)* million vehicles, surpassing the two million mark forthe first time in the first quarter of a year. The Group also reported record deliveries for the month of March: 862,700 (March 2011: 767,100; +12.5 percent)* vehicles weredelivered to customers for the first time ever in a single month. “The Volkswagen Group developed very well in the first quarter. We produced another strong performance in North America, China and Russia. However, uncertainty continues,
particularly on the markets in Western Europe”, the Group Board Member for Sales, Christian Klingler, said in Wolfsburg on Friday. The Group brands delivered a total of 937,000 (908,300; +3.2 percent) vehicles on the overall European market in the first quarter. 507,100 (531,900; -4.7 percent) customers took delivery of a new vehicle in Western Europe (excluding Germany), currently a difficult market. In the home market of Germany, Europe’s largest automotive group grew deliveries to 282,400 (267,300; +5.7 percent) units. The company once again reported strong growth in the Central and Eastern Europe region, handing over 147,400 (109,100; +35.1 percent) vehicles to customers there. The Group also announced encouraging figures for the Asia / Pacific region, delivering 726,100 (621,800; +16.8 percent) vehicles there in the first quarter, of which 633,900 (548,500; +15.6 percent) units were handed over to customers in China, the largest single market. In India, deliveries increased by 21.6 percent to 34,100 (28,100) units. Deliveries also continued to develop well on the American continent. The number of vehicles sold in the North America region from January to March rose by 24.5 percent to 179,100 (143,900), of which 124,400 (92,800; +34.0 percent) were delivered in the United States, the region’s largest single market. The Volkswagen Group handed over 229,400 (220,900; +3.9 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period. Outline of developments at Group brands Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 1.36 (1.23; +10.5 percent) million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to March. The brand developed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe region, handing over 60,200 (37,200; +61.8 percent) units there. In the North America region, Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 135,700 (106,300; +27.6 percent) vehicles to customers, while deliveries in the Asia / Pacific region ran at 540,600 (475,500; +13.7 percent) units.
Audi sold 346,100 (312,500; +10.8 percent) vehicles worldwide in the first quarter. Deliveries by the premium brand from Ingolstadt developed particularly well in the Asia / Pacific region, where 108,100 (79,900; +35.3 percent) models were handed over to customers. In the North America region, Audi delivered 36,000 (30,900) units during the same period, an increase of 16.7 percent. ŠKODA delivered a total of 242,700 (217,100; +11.8 percent) vehicles in the first three months. The Czech automaker reported particularly strong growth in Central and Eastern Europe, delivering 60,900 (51,300; +18.7 percent) units there, and in Asia / Pacific, where 72,600 (63,500; +14.3 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers. Due to the difficult market situation in Western Europe, SEAT delivered 80,100 (90,700; -11.6 percent) vehicles worldwide in the period to March. The Spanish brand reported growth in the markets in Germany, where deliveries increased by 3.6 percent to 13,100 (12,600) units, the UK, where deliveries rose to 10,900 (10,500; +4.1 percent) units, and Mexico, where deliveries increased to 5,100 (4,700; +10.0 percent) units. First-quarter deliveries by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles rose by 7.9 percent to 130,700 (121,200) units. The brand reported particularly strong growth in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where 10,100 (7,300; +39.2 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 28,900 (25,900; +11.5 percent) units to customers in the home market of Germany.