JANUARY SALES - VOLKSWAGEN - WORLDWIDE - VW's sales drop in January.

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 507,100 (January 2014: 521,600) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first month of this year, 2.8 per cent down on the same month of the prior year. “Deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand show we are facing a challenging year. 

Volkswagen was not immune to the uncertainties in some regions that have continued into the current year,” Christian  Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented in Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

Developments in the global delivery situation in the first month of the year were mixed. 

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand handed over 124,900 (126,100; -1.0 per cent) vehicles to customers on the overall European market in January. Compared with the same month ofthe prior year, 66,100 (66,200; -0.1 per cent) units were delivered inWestern Europe (excluding Germany). The company handed over 42,900 (41,400; +3.4 per cent) vehicles in Germany. 

15,900 (18,500; -14.2 per cent) customers took possession of a new Volkswagen in Central and Eastern Europe in January, of which 6,200 (8,600; -28.3 per cent) units were delivered in Russia.

The brand delivered 282,000 (285,300; -1.2 per cent) vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region in January, of which 265,900 (267,800; -0.7 per cent) were handed over to customers in China (incl. Hong Kong). In contrast, deliveries in the North America region grew to 41,800 (39,700; +5.3 per cent). Volkswagen handed over 23,500 vehicles to customers in the United States, matching the figure for Januaryof last year. 

Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 45,200 (55,200; -18.1 per cent) units in the South America region, of which 34,200 (40,300; -15.2 per cent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

Volkswagen hits six million sales in one year for the first time.

• Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler:  “Tenth record in succession. Deliveries doubled since 2004.”

“The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand closed the tenth year in succession with a new delivery record, topping the six-million mark for the first time in a twelve-month period.  That means we have doubled deliveries by the brand since 2004,” Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented in Wolfsburg on Friday.  

The company handed over 6.12* million vehicles to customers from January to December 2014.  The brand delivered 529,500 (December 2013: 542,300; -2.4 percent) units in the month of December.  “We expect the existing challenging market conditions to continue in 2015. However, we believe we are very well prepared to face these challenges with new products such as the Passat or the internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning Golf,” Klingler added.

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 1.68 (1.64; +2.8 percent) million vehicles on the overall European market in 2014, of which 858,300 (811,800; +5.7 percent) were handed over to customers in Western Europe (excluding Germany).  

Deliveries on the home market of Germany also grew, with 578,400 (560,100; +3.3 percent) customers taking possession of a new model there.  Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 244,700 (263,300; -7.1 percent) vehicles in Central and Eastern Europe in the twelve months to December. 128,100 (156,300; -18.0 percent) units were handed over to customers in Russia.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 586,700 (622,300; -5.7 percent) units in the North America region last year, of which 367,000 (407,700; -10.0 percent) were handed over to customers in the United States.  Deliveries in the South America region from January to December decreased to 662,600 (804,300; -17.6 percent) units, of which 541,700 (623,800; -13.2 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

In contrast, deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region grew by a substantial 9.0 percent from January to December 2014, with the brand handing over 2.97 (2.73) million vehicles to customers there. 2.76 (2.51; +10.0 percent) million vehicles were delivered in China (incl. Hong Kong) during the same period.

* Deliveries for 2013 have been updated to reflect subsequent statistical trends.  The Saveiro model, which is mainly sold in South America, has therefore been included in deliveries for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand retroactively from January 1, 2013.  As a consequence, in purely mathematical terms deliveries by the brand in 2013 have increased retroactively from 5.93 to 6.02 million vehicles.