The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 2.48 (January-May 2014: 2.55; -3.0 percent) million vehicles from January to May this year. 499,500 (May 2014: 531,100; -5.9 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers in May.
Commenting on the latest figures, Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said: "Deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in May declined slightly in a tense and mixed market environment." He added: "Compared with last year, there were two fewer working days - and thus two fewer sales days - in May. This is one reason for the overall delivery trend and its effect was noticeable above all in Europe."
Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 727,800 (712,700) vehicles on the overall European market in the first five months, an increase of 2.1 percent; this contrasted with a slight 0.4 percent downturn on the overall European market in the period to May. Of this total, 396,200 (372,300; +6.4 percent) units were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany).
Deliveries in the home market of Germany increased by 6.2 percent to 249,000 (234,400) units. The decline in Central and Eastern Europe continued, with 82,700 (106,000; -22.1 percent) vehicles handed over to customers there in the period to May. The company delivered 29,800 (56,500; -47.2 percent) units to customers in Russia during the same period.
The brand delivered 1.21 (1.25; -3.4 percent) million vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region in the period to May, of which 1.12 (1.16; -3.7 percent) million units were handed over in China (incl. Hong Kong). Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 241,300 (235,400; +2.5 percent) vehicles in the North America region from January to May, of which 144,000 (150,300; -4.2 percent) models were handed over to their owners in the United States. In the South America region, deliveries for the period to May decreased to 207,700 (267,700; -22.4 percent) units, of which 155,700 (215,700; -27.8 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.