The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 5.34 million vehicles to customers from January to November this year. “Developments in world markets, which are in some cases tense, and their effects on the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand will continue until the end of the year,” explained Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales. The decline in the Brazilian and Russian markets continues, “a development that is also affecting Volkswagen. In contrast, deliveries by the brand in China rose.” For the year as a whole, Stackmann expects the current trend to continue: “On a cumulative basis, we are now 4.5 percent below the figure for the previous year. In view of the situation of the brand, which is currently challenging, I do not expect that we will be able to compensate for this fall in the remaining days of the year.” Last year, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 6.12 million units throughout the world.
In China, its largest single market, the brand once again grew deliveries in November significantly by 8.6 percent. In the entire Asia-Pacific region, the brand delivered 2.58 million units from January to November.
Stackmann added: “Western Europe has traditionally been one of the cornerstones of the brand. This is why we are particularly pleased to note that our customers are remaining loyal to us, especially in this phase which is so challenging for the company.” In November, deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in the Western Europe region rose by a total of 2.4 percent. The brand continued its growth in Germany, Italy and Spain. In contrast, developments in Central and Eastern Europe were dominated by deliveries in Russia, which once again fell.
In North America, deliveries were especially affected by the decline in the United States. Here, deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand decreased by about a quarter in November, especially as a result of the sales stop for diesel models. The challenging economic developments in Brazil continue to dominate the situation in South America: 431,100 vehicles were handed over to new customers in the period to November, including 314,800 in Brazil.
As regards the processing and resolution of the diesel issue, Stackmann added: “Volkswagen Group has presented specific technical measures for the EA 189 engines* that are affected to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the body that is responsible. Following intensive assessment, the measures have already been approved by the KBA. The Volkswagen brand is now in the process of organizing and preparing for the implementation of the technical measures.” He said that the main focus was on solutions which were as customer-friendly as possible. The implementation of the measures is to start in January and will probably continue throughout 2016. “For our customers, we want to keep the time needed to implement the technical measures as short as possible. Via our dealers, we will be contacting each of our customers and will do everything in our power to take individual customers’ needs into consideration in the implementation of the technical measures in order to avoid any disadvantages such as possible mobility restrictions.” In relation to these modifications, the Volkswagen brand will offer appropriate, free-of-charge mobility options if these are required by customers.
Overview of deliveries by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand:
* NB: The information in this press release does not refer to products and services from the Volkswagen Group of America or Volkswagen Canada.