VW commercial vehicle sales up 9.3 per cent

Volkswagen posted a 9.3 per cent rise in commercial vehicle sales to 343,100 units in the first eight months of 2008, the company said yesterday at the IAA truck show in Hanover.

While growth in its core market of western Europe amounted to just 3.2 per cent to 190,900 vehicles, it recorded a near 30 per cent sales rise in eastern Europe to 32,900 units.

South America also saw impressive growth with a 25 per cent gain to 82,300 vehicles.

"Despite more difficult economic conditions in some European markets, we are currently confident we can reach our target to deliver a total of more than 500,000 vehicles," VW commercial vehicles head Stephan Schaller said in remarks prepared for a news conference.