Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles achieves respectable results in 2012

In the 2012 business year, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles increased its global deliveries to a record level of 550,370 city delivery vans, transporters and pickups (2011: 528,900; +4.1 per cent). Sales grew to 9,450 billion euros (2011: 8,985 billion euros; +5.2 per cent). Operating profit were 421 million euros (2011: 449 million euros; -6.1 per cent).

Dr. Eckhard Scholz, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “This is a more than satisfactory performance considering the debt crisis in Western Europe, which has also impacted light commercial vehicle sales over the past year.”

Deliveries in 2012

Among the model series, Amarok and Crafter achieved above-average performance, while the Caddy was slightly below and the T5 was slightly above prior year sales figures, reported Dr. Scholz.

The Amarok recorded a gain of 26.7 per cent in global deliveries to 84,100 vehicles (2011: 66,400). “In the past year, the Amarok was clearly a mainstay that drove the growth in deliveries of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles,” emphasised Dr. Scholz.

Crafter deliveries rose by 24.0 per cent to 49,200 vehicles (2011: 39,700). Globally, the T5 model series increased 2.9 per cent to 160,300 deliveries (2011: 155,800). Global Caddy deliveries declined 5.9 per cent to 151,100 vehicles (2011: 160,600). Deliveries of the Saveiro model declined 2.3 per cent to 79,400 (2011: 81,200), while the T2 grew by 4.4 per cent to 26,200 deliveries (2011: 25,100).

Significant growth stimuli came from markets in Eastern Europe and the South America and Asia-Pacific regions. In South America, deliveries rose by 7.9 per cent to 148,100 light commercial vehicles and pickups (2011: 137,300). In Africa, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles increased its deliveries by 17.7 per cent to 19,700 units (2011: 16,700). In the Asia-Pacific region, delivery volume grew by 61.9 per cent to 19,000 vehicles (2011: 11,700). In Eastern Europe, deliveries increased by 14.2 per cent to 41,700 vehicles in 2012 (2011: 36,500).

In many countries of Western Europe demand for light commercial vehicles is reported to have declined dramatically. Overall, nearly eleven per cent fewer city delivery vans, transporters and pickups of all brands were registered compared to 2011.

Market trend and new car registrations in 2012

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles could not entirely escape market trends, but it was able to differentiate itself from the overall market. In Western Europe, including Germany, deliveries by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles declined 1.8 per cent to 284,300 vehicles (2011: 289,800). In Germany, deliveries by the brand declined 1.6 per cent to 123,100 vehicles (2011: 125,200).

At the same time, market shares were successfully increased. In 2012, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles not only claimed the top position in European vehicle registration statistics in the market segment for city delivery vans, transporters and pickups with a 18.3 per cent share. It also extended its top position by 1.7 percentage points. In Germany as well, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles once again set the pace in 2012, increasing its market share by 1.4 percentage points to 33.9 per cent compared to the prior year. The new vehicle registration statistics of individual models is impressive. The T5 is the frontrunner in Europe and Germany, as is the Caddy. The Amarok has the highest registration figures in Germany, and in Europe it is well on the way to catching the leaders. The Crafter also attained disproportionately higher registration results in its segment.

“One-fifth of vehicles registered in the European economic area and one-third of new vehicle registrations in Germany in the segment of city delivery vans, transporters and pickups came from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in 2012,” emphasised Dr. Scholz.

Earnings in 2012

In 2012, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sales grew by 5.2 per cent to 9,450 billion euros (2011: 8,985 billion euros). Operating profit were 421 million euros (2011: 449 million euros). Dr. Scholz stressed that despite adverse circumstances, the brand recorded its second best operating profit ever.

Outlook for 2013

The CEO outlined the brand’s goals for 2013: “We will continue to exploit all growth potentials that present themselves in Europe; simultaneously, we will protect our top position here.” This not only involves extending and continually upgrading the standard production model series to make them more attractive and economical for buyers. Dr. Scholz also announced numerous special edition models such as the Amarok Canyon, the Cross Caddy, the Caddy Jako-O and the Transporter Edition.

The brand is as aware of the growing intensity of competition in a challenging European market, as it is of the fact that no end is in sight yet in terms of market uncertainty, and there is no evidence of a trend reversal. Simultaneously, new competitive products are pushing into the Caddy and Transporter segments. “We take these challenges very seriously. At Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles we are currently working on relevant answers to these problems with great intensity in the form of new product measures,” stressed the CEO. The same applies to the Crafter successor, in particular. “We are currently working hard to develop a Crafter successor. It has not been decided yet where this model will be produced,” explained Dr. Scholz.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is well equipped to further extend its international market position with its current strong model series as well as future vehicle generations. The objective is to make further gains in global markets in which Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is already a strong competitor, especially South America. “We are striving for the top position there,” emphasised Dr. Scholz. At the same time, he said that the brand was also expressly focusing its strategies on other new markets such as China and North America.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is on a clear path of expansion, which will be continued prudently yet forcefully. Cooperation within the Group’s commercial vehicle branch will target new possibilities for jointly penetrating markets. The brand is expected to further increase its global market share by maintaining a presence in suitable markets with the right products at the right time, explained Dr. Scholz.