JANUARY SALES - VW GROUP - Group shows slight gain worldwide in January.

• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler:“We made a stable start to another challenging year”

The Volkswagen Group began the year with a slight increase in deliveries of 0.7 per cent. The Company with its twelve brands delivered 817,600 (January 2014: 811,500) vehicles worldwide. “The Volkswagen Group made a stable start to the year. 

Our premium brands Audi and Porsche, along with ŠKODA and SEAT, put in a particularly strong performance,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday. “Looking ahead to the full year we can expect the global uncertainties to continue – and 2015 will be another challenging year,” Klingler added.

Including the figures for heavy commercial vehicles, Group brands delivered a total of 287,400 (279,400; +2.9 per cent) vehicles to customers on the overall European market in the first month of the year. 152,200 (149,300; +1.9 per cent) customers took possession of a new vehicle in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 89,300 (84,200; +6.1 per cent) units were delivered in the home market of Germany. 

The Group handed over 45,900 vehicles to customers in Central and Eastern Europe, matching the figure for January of last year. 13,800 (16,600; -16.9 per cent) units were delivered in Russia.

The Company delivered 63,200 (58,000; +9.0 per cent) vehicles in the North America region in January, of which 39,200 (36,900; +6.1 per cent) were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 53,900 (67,900; -20.7 per cent) vehicles in the South America region during the same period, of which 38,500 (48,500; -20.7 per cent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

381,300 (375,000; +1.7 per cent) vehicles were delivered to customers in the Asia-Pacific region in the first month of the year, of which 351,400 (344,500; +2.0 per cent) were handed over in China (incl. Hong Kong), the Group’s largest single market.

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 507,100 (521,600; -2.8 per cent) vehicles to customers worldwide in January 2015.

The premium brand Audi handed over 137,700 (124,900) vehicles in the first month of the year, a substantial rise of 10.3 per cent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 16,000 (12,200) vehicles, representing an increase of 31.2 per cent compared with the previous year.

The Czech brand ŠKODA delivered 87,000 (80,900) vehicles in January, an increase of 7.5 per cent.

SEAT handed over 27,700 (26,000; +6.4 per cent) vehicles to customers during the first month of the year.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 30,600 (31,600; -3.3 per cent) vehicles during the same period.

The MAN commercial vehicles brand delivered 5,600 (7,800; -29.0 per cent) units in the first month of the year.

The Swedish brand Scania delivered 5,000 (5,600; -9,7 per cent) heavy trucks and buses to customers in January.

What to expect at the Performance Car Show at Birmingham’s NEC

Breaking up the cold spell of winter and the long F1 and BTCC off-seasons, enthusiasts can start 2015 in style at the Performance Car Show at Birmingham’s NEC, where a host of the latest road-going supercars, classic icons and World Championship winners will be displayed on 8-11* January.

Attended by 82,000 people in 2014, the Performance Car Show presented by Landsail Tyres in association with Autocar and PistonHeads is held alongside Europe’s largest dedicated motorsport show, Autosport International.

With a host of special collections spanning the best of four-wheeled performance, fans will see amazing machinery at every turn. Some, though, simply can’t be missed.

LaFerrari

With only 499 in production, the LaFerrari is a statement of intent from the legendary Italian manufacturer. Packed with F1-derived technology, the 950bhp hypercar combines a V12 engine with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System.

Mercedes F1

Driven by Lewis Hamilton to win the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the dominant Silver Arrows won 16 of the 19 races in 2014 and will lead a showcase displaying the pinnacle of motorsport on the F1 Racing Grid.

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Named by motoring bible Autocar as Britain’s Best Driver’s Car of 2014, the 458 Speciale features Ferrari’s most-powerful, naturally-aspirated V8 engine and active aerodynamics.

McLaren 650S

Another sensational supercar as McLaren puts its Formula 1 expertise on the road, the 650S covers 0-60mph in under three seconds and hits a top speed of 207mph.

Lamborghini Huracán

The 602bhp Huracán accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, befitting of Lamborghini’s description as the new benchmark for luxury super sports cars.

Ferrari F40

One of the greatest supercars ever created and the first production car to break the 200mph barrier, the legendary F40 was built to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary.

Mercedes C11

One of the best from the Group C era of the 80s and early 90s, the 950bhp C11 was driven by the likes of Michael Schumacher and won eight of its nine races in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship.

Ariel Atom 3.5R

Top of the locals in Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars, finishing second to the 458 Speciale, the latest instalment from Ariel is a 350bhp, 550kg rocket.

Radical SR8 RSX

Another homegrown success story, Radical is unveiling its most-powerful and advanced racer yet, the 440bhp SR8 RSX.

Subaru Impreza

Colin McRae created motorsport history in the era-defining Subaru, becoming Britain’s first World Rally Champion in 1995.

Jaguar XJR15

Launched at the very first Autosport International in 1991 and with only 50 ever produced, the V12-powered XJR15 was the first fully carbon-fibre road-car.

Citroën DS3 World RX Supercar

Not your average Citroën, this is the flame-spitting, 600bhp monster Petter Solberg drove to win the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Zenos E10 S

The very first sportscar from Zenos Cars, the lightweight E10 was launched at the 2014 show and Zenos is back this January with the new, 250bhp E10 S.

BMW i8

Representing the future of motoring, as a revolutionary yet accessible hybrid supercar, a three-cylinder turbo engine combines with an electric motor to produce 357bhp.

Vauxhall VXR8 GTS

Displayed in the UK for the first time at the show in 2014, this ‘thunder from down under’ packs a 576bhp V8.

Exclusive Performance Car Show features include the Autocar Supercar Display, Pie and Piston Pub by PistonHeads.com and the opportunity to see a selection of winners from the prestigious What Car? Awards 2015, just hours after the winners are named. A group of category victors will be on display and appear in the Live Action Arena, the UK’s largest indoor racetrack, along with finalists from Autocar’s Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars.

Every level of motorsport will be in the spotlight within Autosport International, led by the F1 Racing Grid, Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship showcase and a new Track Icons and Wild Road Cars feature in association with Classic & Sports Car Magazine and Silverstone Classic.