Volkswagen Group strengthens competitive position worldwide

Online, October 28, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Hong Kong, October 27, 2009 - The Volkswagen Group has strengthened its global market position in the current year. During the first nine months of 2009, Europe's largest automaker grew its share of the world passenger car market to 11.7% (January to September 2008: 10.0%).
4.76 million vehicles were delivered to customers between January and September, further closing the gap on last year. During the same period, the overall passenger car market fell by around 12%.

The Group once again built on the positive developments of previous months in September and recorded 11.9% growth in vehicle deliveries to 615,100 units worldwide. "We are continuing to steer a steady course through the crisis and are developing better than the competition. We have maintained our position as market leader in the important core markets of China, Brazil and Germany. At the same time we are well placed on emerging growth markets such as Russia and India and have strengthened our market position," Detlef Wittig, Executive Vice President, Group Sales and Marketing, said in Wolfsburg on Friday.

Marked rise in Volkswagen brand deliveries in September
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand continues on its successful course. The brand's market share grew 1.5% points during the first nine months to 7.9% (6.4%). As at the end of September, deliveries had increased significantly, rising by 7.5% to 3.02 (2.81) million vehicles. In the month of September alone, the increase was as high as 22.8% to 397,100 (323,300) cars.

Pleasing developments in key sales regions
Sales developments in the regions of particular importance to the Volkswagen Group were pleasing. Deliveries in China, the largest sales market, had already overtaken deliveries for the whole of the previous year by the end of the first nine months. 1.06 (0.78; +37.0%) million vehicles were sold in China from January to September. Another new delivery record was achieved in the month of September with a rise of 66.4% to 149,200 (89,700) units. Volkswagen also recorded noticeably higher deliveries in the entire Asia/Pacific region, selling 1.17 (0.89; +31.6%) million vehicles.

In Hong Kong, the overall passenger car market fell by 36% this year. More than 1,551 new Volkswagen vehicles have been delivered to customers which represents 25% of increment to the same period last year. Volkswagen Hong Kong delivered 400 units of vehicles to its customers in September 2009. The success of the new Golf, GTI, Scirocco, Tiguan and Passat CC has brought Volkswagen's market share to 16.3% in Sept. 2009 and the 2009 Year-to-month market share of Volkswagen has been doubled to 10.5% from last year's (2008, 5.4%). Mr.Till Scheer, Managing Director of Volkswagen Hong Kong, said, "We are optimistic about this year. We have invested in different product marketing and PR activities. Beside the launches of several new models early this year, we will have a new sales outlet as well as a new service centre in Hong Kong by the end of this year. On the other hand, we have appointed a new dealer in Macau in order to provide the best quality of sales and aftersales service to the Macau market."