Volkswagen Group Reports Record Deliveries for the First Half of 2011

-- Over four million vehicles sold for first time in January – June period

-- 11.7 percent increase in June

-- Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler: "Delivery figures show strength of model range – Success in second six months won't be automatic"

WOLFSBURG, Germany, July 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Volkswagen Group delivered more vehicles in the first six months of 2011 than ever. A total of 4.09 (January – June 2010: 3.58; +14.1 percent)* million vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide from January to June of this year. Europe's largest automaker therefore once again performed noticeably better than the world market (+6.1 percent). June was also a very positive month, with 719,400 (June 2010: 644,300; +11.7 percent)* vehicles handed over to customers. "Delivery figures for the first half of the year are very satisfactory. Our performance demonstrates the strength of our model range," the Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday, and continued: "We are also confident we can perform better than the global automobile market during the second half of the year, thanks to our very convincing range of models." He went on to say that developments during the first half of the year did not yet allow a projection for the full year. "Success in the second six months won't be automatic. Plenty of hard work lies ahead to keep our deliveries during the second half of the year at a high level," Klingler commented.

Deliveries on the American continent again developed very well. The number of vehicles sold in the North America region year to date grew 21.2 percent to 319,100 (263,200) units, of which 211,100 (175,300; +20.4 percent) vehicles were delivered in the U.S. market. The Volkswagen Group handed over 455,200 (410,600; +10.9 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period.

The Group also reported strong delivery figures for the Asia / Pacific sales region. A total of 1.26 (1.05; +19.5 percent) million vehicles were handed over to customers there in the first six months of the year, of which 1.11 (0.95; +16.4 percent) million units were delivered in China, the region's largest single market. The company reported further strong growth in India, where 55,100 (17,400; +217.2 percent) vehicles were delivered.

Group brands delivered a total of 1.90 (1.74; +9.3 percent) million vehicles to customers in Europe during the first half of the year. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 1.07 (1.01; +5.5 percent) million customers took delivery of a new vehicle. Group brands reported continued high growth in Central and Eastern Europe, handing over 253,700 (196,800; +28.9 percent) vehicles there. In its home market of Germany, the Volkswagen Group achieved 9.3 percent growth, delivering 580,600 (531,300) vehicles.

All volume brands grow deliveries

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered over 2.5 million vehicles for the first time in the period January to June. In total, 2.53 (2.26; +11.8 percent) million units were handed over to customers. The brand developed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe (+42.2 percent), North America (+21.8 percent) and Asia / Pacific (+16.4 percent) regions. Audi delivered 653,000 (554,900; +17.7 percent) vehicles worldwide in the first half of the year. The premium brand from Ingolstadt performed particularly well in the regions of North America (+17.2 percent), South America (+28.5 percent) and Asia / Pacific (+26.5 percent). The Skoda brand delivered 454,700 (378,700; +20.1 percent) vehicles worldwide from January to June. The Czech automaker developed particularly well in Central and Eastern Europe (+20.2 percent) and the Asia / Pacific region (+36.0 percent).

SEAT delivered 186,400 (181,800) vehicles worldwide in the first six months, an increase of 2.5 percent. The Spanish brand reported growth in particular in Germany (+24.9 percent), France (+16.7 percent) and Italy (+13.7 percent).

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew deliveries 29.0 percent to 260,300 (201,900) units from January to June. Growth was particularly strong in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe (+52.7 percent), Asia / Pacific (+42.6 percent) and South America (+38.1 percent).

www.volkswagenag.com

* excluding Scania

SOURCE Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.