The Volkswagen Group has achieved the first goal of its Strategy 2018 last year
15 Jan 2015 | 2255 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
The Volkswagen Group has achieved the first goal of its Strategy 2018 last year: “In 2014, our Group delivered over 10 million vehicles in total to customers, ranging from the e-up! city car to heavy commercial vehicles. That is impressive confirmation we are vigorously implementing our Strategy 2018 despite challenging ...
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The Volkswagen Group has achieved the first goal of its Strategy 2018 last year: “In 2014, our Group delivered over 10 million vehicles in total to customers, ranging from the e-up! city car to heavy commercial vehicles. That is impressive confirmation we are vigorously implementing our Strategy 2018 despite challenging market conditions. We are also making good progress with our other main goals – return on sales, customer satisfaction and top employer,” the chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said in Detroit. In total, 10.14 million (prior year: 9.73; +4.2 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers worldwide from January to December 2014.
In December, the Group sold 881,000 (December 2013: 857,600; +2.7 percent) units. Group Board member for Sales Christian Klingler commented: “Our Group has doubled vehicle deliveries in the last 10 years. That is an outstanding performance and an impressive result, and all Group brands have played their part in achieving this despite at times very difficult market conditions.”
Including the figures for heavy commercial vehicles, Group brands delivered a total of 3.95 (3.75; +5.1 percent) million vehicles to customers on the overall European market in 2014. 2.03 (1.90; +7.2 percent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 1.24 (1.19; +4.5 percent) million units were delivered in the home market of Germany. The Group handed over 670,900 (668,300; +0.4 percent) vehicles to customers in Central and Eastern Europe in the period to December, of which 275,800 (316,000; -12.7 percent) were delivered in Russia.
The company delivered 891,900 (890,600; +0.2 percent) vehicles in the North America region from January to December, of which 599,700 (611,800; -2.0 percent) were handed over to customers in the United States. The Volkswagen Group delivered 795,700 (992,300; -19.8 percent) vehicles in the South America region during the same period, of which 629,800 (755,200; -16.6 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.
In the Asia-Pacific region, annual sales topped the four-million mark for the first time. Over 4.06 (3.65; +11.3 percent) million vehicles were sold there from January to December, of which 3.68 (3.27; +12.4 percent) million were delivered to customers in China (including Hong Kong), the Group’s largest single market.
Outline of developments at Group brands
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 6.12 million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to December 2014, doubling sales since 2004, and topping the six-million mark for the first time.
Audi sold 1.74 (1.58) million vehicles to customers worldwide in 2014, a substantial increase of 10.5 percent. The premium brand grew deliveries year-on-year in almost all regions.
Sports car manufacturer Porsche sold a total of 189,800 (162,100; +17.1 percent) vehicles in the period to December. Demand for models was particularly high in Western Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.
The Škoda brand delivered over one million units worldwide for the first time in the period from January to December 2014, handing over 1.04 (0.92) million vehicles to customers, a year-on-year increase of 12.7 percent.
SEAT sold 390,500 (355,000) vehicles worldwide in the period to December 2014, a year-on-year rise of 10.0 percent.
The VW Group’s three commercial vehicles brands – MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – delivered 646,500 (683,200; -5.4 percent) heavy and light commercial vehicles worldwide in 2014 against the backdrop of weaker developments in Europe, Russia and South America. MAN accounted for 120,100 (140,300; -14.4 percent) of these vehicles. While the Swedish brand Scania sold 79,800 (80,500; -0.8 percent) heavy commercial vehicles and buses in 2014. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 446,600 (462,400; -3.4 percent) units in the period to December.