Volkswagen Group has returned to global growth in January, despite the effects of the ongoing emissions scandal.
Group sales were up by 3.7 percent to 847,800 units worldwide, representing an increase of approximately 30,000 vehicles. The rebound was primarily driven by a 14-percent jump in China, where an extra 51,000 deliveries helped offset trouble in the US, Brazil and Russia.
“Developments on world markets at the beginning of the year are mixed,” said CEO Matthias Mueller. “The situation in Brazil and Russia remains tense, China is regaining momentum and the trend in Europe is generally stable.”
Porsche was the fastest growing brand, posting a 24-percent increase compared to January 2015, while VW and Audi deliveries rose by 2.8 and 4.0 percent, respectively.
The diesel emissions scandal has been particularly troublesome in the US market, resulting in a five-percent slide for 2015 overall. The trend continued into 2016 with January sales down by 7.0 percent in the market.
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