2018 Global: Volkswagen Group Worldwide Sales by Brand

In 2018, Volkswagen Group deliveries worldwide increased by 0.9% to a record 10.83 million vehicles. Volkswagen brand, Škoda, Seat, Porsche and Lamborghini sold in record numbers.

Skoda Vision X at Geneva Auto Salon 2018

In 2018, the Volkswagen Group set an all-time record with 10.83 million vehicles delivered throughout the world, 0.9 percent more than in 2017. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Škoda, Seat, Porsche and Lamborghini brands all set new deliveries records but Audi sales were lower. In South America, Europe, the USA and China, both the deliveries and in some cases the market shares of the Volkswagen Group grew.

Volkswagen Group Sales in 2018 by Brand

The main brands of the Volkswagen Group reported worldwide deliveries for 2018 as follows:

BrandsJan.-Dec.
2018
Jan.-Dec.
2017
Change
(%)
Volkswagen Passenger Cars6,244,9006,230,3000.2
Audi1,812,5001,878,100-3.5
ŠKODA1,253,7001,200,5004.4
SEAT517,600468,40010.5
Porsche256,300246,4004
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles499,700497,9000.4
MAN136,500114,10019.6
Scania96,50090,8006.3
Volkswagen Group (total)10,834,00010,741,5000.9

With the exception of Audi, all major brands in the Volkswagen Group increased sales worldwide in 2018. The Group brands were able to more than compensate for the risks in individual regions such as the general economic uncertainty in China and the adverse effects of the WLTP changeover in Europe. Especially the Group’s new SUV models were strong growth drivers. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Škoda, Seat, Porsche and Lamborghini brands all set new deliveries records.

Volkswagen Brand Sales by Market in 2018

The Volkswagen Group reported deliveries in various major market and regions of the world in 2018 as follows:

MarketsJan.-Dec.
2018
Jan.-Dec.
2017
Change
(%)
Europe4,380,7004,328,5001.2
Western Europe3,583,5003,583,9000
Germany1,284,8001,286,500-0.1
Central and Eastern Europe797,200744,7007.1
Russia229,800191,80019.8
North America956,700976,400-2
USA638,300625,1002.1
South America590,000521,60013.1
Brazil401,700308,00030.4
Asia-Pacific4,546,3004,505,8000.9
China (incl. HK)4,207,1004,184,2000.5
Worldwide10,834,00010,741,5000.9


In Europe, the brands of the Volkswagen Group delivered a total of 4.38 million vehicles in 2018,1.2 percent more than in 2017. The Group grew especially strongly in Central and Eastern Europe, where 797,200 vehicles were handed over to customers, 7.1 percent more than the previous year. This increase was especially due to strong performance in Russia, where Group deliveries grew by 19.8 percent. Despite the significant adverse effects of the WLTP changeover of the fleets in the second half of the year, deliveries by the Group in Western Europe reached about the same level as the previous year, at 3.58 million vehicles. In Germany, deliveries also remained at the prior- year level, at 1.28 million vehicles.

There was a two-way split between the situation for the brands in the markets of North America. While growth was recorded in the USA with 638,300 vehicles delivered (+2.1 percent) and Canada with 118,500 vehicles delivered (+3.7 percent), there was a drop of 15.6 percent compared with the previous year in Mexico. In total, the Volkswagen Group handed 956,700 vehicles over to customers in the region, 2.0 percent less than in 2017.

Developments for the Volkswagen Group in South America last year were extremely positive. With growth of 13.1 percent in deliveries to 590,000 vehicles, the region made a decisive contribution to the positive overall figures of the Group. The outstanding performance of the Group brands in Brazil, where 401,700 vehicles were delivered, a rise of 30,4 percent, more than offset the fall of 22.4 percent to 118,600 vehicles delivered in Argentina. In Argentina, conditions for the overall market remained difficult in a generally poor economic environment.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the Volkswagen Group achieved growth, with 4.55 million vehicles handed over to customers – despite the negative effect of the Chinese market, where the overall economic situation became more sluggish in the second half of the year as a result of the trade dispute with the USA. The reluctance to buy on the part of consumers had a negative impact on the entire automobile market, which contracted for the first time after many years in 2018. In this situation, the Volkswagen Group still achieved slight growth compared with the previous year, at 4.21 million vehicles delivered, and were able to increase its market share.

Worldwide Car Sales per Brand in 2018