Volkswagen Group Sells 4.7 Million Cars in the First Half of 2013

VolkswagenVolkswagenGermany, 1938 > present98 models
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Group continued to be a leader in worldwide auto sales in the first half of 2013 with sales of 4.7 million cars, a 5.5% increase over the same period last year. For June alone, it sold 827,800 cars, a 3.7% increase.

“The economic climate remains tense, especially in Europe. We remain on course and are entering the second half of the year with confidence. Nevertheless, the enormous challenges persist,” said VW Group head of sales Christian Klinger.

European sales continue to slide even for the behemoth that is VW Group. It sold 1.87 million cars in the first half of the year, down 3.5% from the previous year. Western European sales were down 3.6%; German sales were down 3.7%, Central and Eastern European sales were down 3%, and Russian sales were down 1.7%.

VW Group’s true power comes from the Asian market where it sold 1.73 million cars in the first half of the year, up 16.8%. Of those cars, 1.54 million were sold in China, a 18.7% increase. The Indian market struggled with sales of 49,200 cars, down 19.2%.

South America also bought fewer cars in the first six months of the year than previously. Sales fell 4% across the region to 450,500 cars. Of those, 332,800 cars went to Brazil, a 4.1% fall.

North America continued to be VW Group’s numerically smallest market, but it showed growth. It sold 437,900 cars in North America in the first six months, a 12.3% increase. Of those, 303,900 cars went to the United States, an increase of 10.4%.

PorschePorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
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has sold 81,600 cars in the first six months of the year. Asia has also become its largest market with 24,300 cars sold. North America is nearly as large at 23,500 cars.

SkodaSkodaCzech Rep., 1895 > present57 models
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sales slipped 5.8% to 464,600 cars in the first six months of the year. It even had sales fall 6.6% in the Asian region to 135,300 cars.

SeatSeatSpain, 1950 > present29 models
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sales ticked up 11.5% to 182,100 cars in the first six months. Of those, 150,500 cars went to Europe, an increase of 8.2%. Sales in the German market grew by a staggering 34.4% to 38,200 cars.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles moved 270,700 cars the first half of the year, an increase of 0.2%. European deliveries stayed roughly the same with a 0.8% loss, but South America had growth of 12.7%.

If you would like to see the financial results for Volkswagen Cars or Audi, we reported on them previously here.

It appears that the key to VW Group’s current success is the Asian market. Without it, the company would almost certainly have falling sales. It is close to selling more cars in Asia than it does in Europe.

With 4.7 million sales in the first six months of the year, Volkswagen Group could conceivably reach its 2015 goal early of selling 10 million cars in a calendar year.

VW and Audi Sales Doing Well Worldwide But Still Having Problems in Europe