VW powers ahead

VOLKSWAGEN Group continues to rack up impressive sales results around the globe, announcing a new record for deliveries in the first quarter, exceeding the two-million mark for the first time.

The German car-maker aims to unseat General Motors and Toyota as the world number one by 2018.

After setting a company record for a single month in March (up 12.5 per cent to 862,700 units), VW Group sold 2.16 million vehicles globally in the first quarter, an increase of 9.6 per cent over the same period last year.

Sales increased by 3.2 per cent in Europe, 16.8 per cent in the Asia/Pacific region (most of which was China), 21.6 per cent in India, 24.5 per cent in North America and 3.9 per cent in South America.

Volkswagen-branded passenger vehicles rose by 10.5 per cent (commercials were up 7.9 per cent), Audi was up 10.8 per cent and Skoda 11.8 per cent, but troubled Spanish brand Seat dropped 11.6 per cent as it is more dependant on sales in the depressed Western Europe market.

In Australia, VW brand sales increased some 36.8 per cent in the first quarter to 11,983 vehicles and Skoda rose 114.3 per cent on a low base (to 870 sales), but Audi experienced a rare downturn, dropping 20.5 per cent to 3438 units (see this week’s Market Insight).