The Volkswagen Group delivered 10.3 million vehicles to customers worldwide last year, a rise of 3.8 per cent compared with the prior-year figure. Deliveries in December rose by 11.8 per cent to 933,300 vehicles.
“2016 was a very challenging year for us. We made strides in resolving and overcoming the diesel crisis and at the same time initiated a fundamental change process with Together – Strategy 2025 to get Volkswagen ready for the future of mobility,” Matthias Müller, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, said.
“Nonetheless, we managed to stabilise operating business in difficult conditions: the fact that we handed over more than 10 million vehicles to customers last year bolsters the Group and its brands as we head for the future.”
Full-year deliveries by the Volkswagen Group brands in Europe in 2016 totalled 4.2 million units (up four per cent), of which 340,600 new vehicles (up 9.2 per cent) were handed over to customers in December.
Deliveries by the Group in Western Europe in December rose by 9.2 per cent to 282,100 units. The company recorded strong growth in the UK, Italy and France in December. In Germany, 92,900 vehicles were handed over to customers in December – a decrease of 2.6 per cent. Deliveries in Central and Eastern Europe during the same month rose by 8.8 per cent to 58,500 units.
The Group handed over 939,100 new vehicles (up 0.8 per cent) to customers in the North America region last year. The Group delivered 36,500 vehicles in South America in December – a rise of five per cent compared with the previous year.
In the Asia-Pacific region in 2016, 4.3 million new vehicles (up 9.7 per cent) were delivered in the Asia-Pacific region, of which four million were handed over to customers in China. Group deliveries to the Chinese market rose by 18.6 per cent in December, with customers taking possession of 390,600 vehicles.
“In 2017 we will be intensifying our efforts in the major technological fields of the future, in e-mobility, autonomous vehicles, the digitalisation of our products and our company.
“At the same time, though, we will not be neglecting today’s core business. Our Group brands will be putting almost 60 new vehicles on the road for their customers during the coming year,” Müller said.