(December 10, 2013) WOLFSBURG, Germany — While sales have been off in the U.S. and Europe, the Volkswagen passenger cars brand recorded a good delivery performance in November worldwide with volumes up 3.4 percent to 522,100 units compared to 504,800 in November 2012. For the first 11 months of the year, 5.4 million vehicles were handed over to customers, an increase of 3.4 percent.

“Our brand’s most important model, the Golf, has once again been a strong driver. The latest generation has got off to an excellent start and we will be delivering the 500,000th model this December, just one year after the market launch,” Christian Klingler, board member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said.

“We expect to see further momentum from key countries such as China and the USA, where the Golf will be launched shortly. And we are constantly adding to the Golf family: The new Golf Estate has just gone on sale, and the Golf Sportsvan along with the e-Golf and the Golf Plug-in Hybrid will follow next year.”

In the U.S., 373,700 (394,100; -5.2 percent) new models have been sold this year, a 5.2 percent drop from the first 11 months of 2012.    For North America, the delivery level was unchanged, with the brand handing over 563,000 vehicles.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the Volkswagen passenger cars brand grew deliveries by 15.8 percent from January to November, handing over 2.46 million vehicles to customers, of which 2.26 million units were delivered in China including Hong Kong, the region’s largest single market.

Volkswagen passenger cars delivered 1.51 (1.58; -4.8 percent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the period to November, a decline of 4.8 percent, of which 746,800 units were handed over in the Western Europe region (excluding Germany).

At 516,900 units, deliveries to customers in the home market of Germany from January to November were down 6.4 percent. Volkswagen handed over 242,300vehicles to customers in Central and Eastern Europe in the period to November, don 1.7 percent, of which 142,700 units were delivered in Russia.