Worldwide sales of the German car and truck group Volkswagen rose sharply in the first quarter, after falling sharply a year earlier due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The parent company of car brands such as Audi, Porsche, Skoda, and Seat did exceptionally well in China and North America. There was still a decline in Western Europe.
In total, the company sold more than 2.43 million vehicles, an increase of 21 percent compared to a year earlier. In China, sales jumped more than 60 percent, and in North America, they climbed 16 percent.
More vehicles were also sold elsewhere globally, except for Western Europe, where sales fell by 4.6 percent due to the corona measures. This is mainly due to weak sales in January and February because Western European sales rose very strongly in March.
Sales of the luxury brands Audi and Porsche went well, but the leading Volkswagen brand was also sold more. Also, sales of the truck brands Scania and MAN increased significantly.