VW Group September sales rise 6.5%; U.S., China offset Europe drop
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FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group's global vehicle sales rose by 6.5 percent in September as continued growth in the United States and China helped offset plummeting deliveries in western Europe.
The monthly sales volume was well below the 18.9 percent growth reported by VW in August, a sign that even Europe's largest automaker is not immune to the car-sales slump gripping regional markets.
VW said deliveries for its brands increased to 801,000 in September from the year before. This raises the nine-month total by 9.7 percent to 6.71 million.
"Our worldwide deliveries grew further in September … however, the present uncertain situation in the euro zone and current overall market conditions require close monitoring and will be receiving our full attention in the fourth quarter as well," VW Group sales chief Christian Klingler said in a statement on Friday.
Sales in China, VW's largest single market, rose 18.5 percent to 1.69 million in the first nine months, while sales in the United States were up 34.1 percent to 431,600.
In western Europe, excluding Germany, VW's volume fell 6 percent to 1.43 million. In Germany, deliveries increased 3 percent to 889,900.
In the group's overall European market, sales dropped by nearly 1 percent to 2.8 million. Growth was particularly strong in central and eastern Europe, where deliveries rose 23.1 percent to 480,000. In Russia sales rose 50.1 percent to 234,900.
All group brands gain except Seat
All of VW Group's brands increased sales in the first nine months, except its Spanish unit Seat.
Audi sales lead growth with a rise of 12.8 percent to 1.10 million through September, followed by the core VW brand, which increased sales by 10.6 percent to 4.21 million.
Deliveries at Czech unit Skoda rose 7.9 percent to 717,200, while Seat's sales fell 10.7 percent to 210,200, as the brand continued to be hit by poor economic conditions in its key southern European markets.
The Porsche marque, which Volkswagen added to its brand portfolio in August, sold 22,800 in September, VW said.
VW Group intends to challenge General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. for the position of No. 1 global automaker by unit sales, a goal the automaker aims to achieve by 2018. VW is targeting 10 million auto sales that year.
In 2011, VW Group sold 8.27 million units, behind GM with 9.05 million and ahead of Toyota with 7.95 million.
PRESS RELEASE
Wolfsburg, October 12, 2012 – The Volkswagen Group achieved a 9.7 percent rise in worldwide deliveries in the first three quarters of 2012, handing over 6.71 (January-September 2011: 6.11)* million vehicles to customers. The Group recorded a 6.5 percent increase for the month of September, delivering 801,000 (September 2011: 751,900)* units. "Our worldwide deliveries grew further in September with a particularly strong performance in Central and Eastern Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region", Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday. "However, the present uncertain situation in the eurozone and current overall market conditions require close monitoring and will be receiving our full attention in the fourth quarter as well."
Group brands delivered 2.80 (2.77; +0.8 percent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the first three quarters of the year. As a result of the difficult market situation, Europe's largest automaker handed over 1.43 (1.52; -6.0 percent) million units to customers in Western Europe (excluding Germany). In the home market of Germany, the company grew deliveries to 889,900 (864.400; +3.0 percent) units. The Volkswagen Group continued to achieve high growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 480,000 (390,100; +23.1 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, of which 234,900 (156,600; +50.1 percent) were delivered in Russia, the region's largest single market.
Deliveries on the American continent also developed well with the number of vehicles handed over in the North America region from January to September increasing by 25.4 percent to 608,600 (485,400), of which 431,600 (321,900; +34.1 percent) were delivered in the United States. The Volkswagen Group handed over 752,500 (701,000; +7.4 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period. The Group also recorded very satisfactory figures in the Asia-Pacific region where 2.27 (1.92; +18.2 percent) million vehicles were delivered to customers in the first nine months, of which 2.00 (1.69; +18.5 percent) million units were delivered in China, the region's largest single market.
Outline of developments at Group brands
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 4.21 (3.81; +10.6 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first three quarters. The brand developed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where 199,800 (151,300; +32.1 percent) units were delivered. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 456,500 (362,000; +26.1 percent) vehicles to customers in the North America region, while the figure was 1.68 (1.44; +16.4 percent) million for the Asia-Pacific region.
Audi delivered 1.10 (0.97; +12.8 percent) million vehicles worldwide from January to September. The premium brand from Ingolstadt performed particularly well in North America, where 122,100 (103,800; +17.7 percent) models were handed over to customers. In the Asia-Pacific region, Audi delivered 351,400 (272,200) vehicles during the same period, an increase of 29.1 percent.
The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 22,800 vehicles in August and September. Demand for models built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, where 7,000 units were handed over, and in the North America region, where deliveries ran at 6,400 units.
The ŠKODA brand delivered a total of 717,200 (664,800; +7.9 percent) vehicles in the period to September. The Czech automaker performed particularly well in Central and Eastern Europe, where 193,600 (166,900; +16.0 percent) units were handed over, and in the Asia-Pacific region, where 215,600 (194,800; +10.7 percent) vehicles were delivered.
SEAT delivered 238,200 (266,800; -10.7 percent) vehicles worldwide from January to September, mainly as a result of the difficult market situation in Western Europe. The Spanish brand did, however, grow deliveries in Germany to 45,400 (40,100, +13.1 percent) units, in the UK, where 30,900 (28,900; +7.2 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, and in Mexico, where 15,400 (12,600; +21.5 percent) vehicles were delivered.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew deliveries 4.9 percent to 409,300 (390,100) units in the period to September. 93,700 (91,200; +2.7 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers in the home market of Germany. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also developed very well across Europe, with 245,500 (236,900; +3.6 percent) units delivered on the overall European market.
*) including deliveries by the Porsche brand from August 1, 2012; excluding MAN and Scania
You can reach David Jolley at djolley@crain.com.
