Volkswagen Group sets sales record of 568,000 vehicles worldwide in April 2008

Mumbai: German auto maker Volkswagen Group has delivered 568,000 vehicles in April up by 10.5 per cent as compared to April 2007, which is a record  in global vehicle deliveries. The group has also achieved a landmark by reaching the two-million mark in only the first four months of 2008. From January to April, Volkswagen's eight brands delivered 2.14 million vehicles to customers all over the world, an increase of 7.9 per cent compared with the previous year.

Thanks to its sustained multi-brand strategy and ever broader model diversity, growth in deliveries by the Volkswagen Group was therefore stronger than the world market, where the increase in passenger car deliveries currently runs at approximately 3 per cent. In Europe, the group's January to April rose by 3.0 per cent to touch 1.22 million vehicles, including 1.04 million deliveries in Western Europe.

In Germany alone, deliveries rose by 5.9 per cent to 339,000 vehicles. In Central and Eastern Europe, customers took delivery of 178,000 vehicles from the Volkswagen Group (plus 18.7 per cent).

In Asia-Pacific, the Volkswagen Group delivered 420,000 vehicles, a rise of 26.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2007. 368,000 vehicles were delivered to customers in China, an increase of 28.9 percent over the previous year.

In South America, deliveries were up by 19.5 per cent to 260,000 vehicles, of which 203,000 were delivered to customers in Brazil (plus 24.3 per cent). In North America, deliveries totaled 159,000 vehicles (minus 4.9 percent), of which 100,000 were delivered to customers in the USA (minus 0.7 percent).

Volkswagen, the Group's highest-volume brand, delivered 1.25 million vehicles to customers worldwide during the first four months of 2008, a rise of 8.8 per cent compared with the previous year. Audi grew deliveries to 338,000 vehicles, an increase of 1.7 per cent. Škoda reported a 17.7 per cent rise to 237,000 vehicles delivered.

Seat delivered 135,000 vehicles (minus 5.9 per cent). Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles grew deliveries by 14.7 per cent to 171,000 units. Bentley delivered 3,200 vehicles to customers (minus 15.6 per cent), Lamborghini 850 vehicles (plus 15.4 per cent) and Bugatti 20 models (January to April 2007: 25).