May 2013 - Volkswagen of America

Herndon, VA - Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) today reported 38,013 units delivered in May, a 1.7 percent decrease over prior year sales.

“We saw an uptick in our consumer traffic and closing rates this month which allowed us to set new records for Jetta and Passat,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO Volkswagen Group of America. “In a month in which the industry saw strong growth in the pick up truck segments, an area in which we do not compete, we are pleased to see healthy consumer demand for our passenger cars, especially the growing demand for our TDI Clean Diesels and Hybrid line up.”

The Chattanooga-built Passat continued to deliver strong results with 10,267 units delivered. Citing, “Proof that German Engineering is worth every penny,” Consumer Digest awarded the 2013 Passat a Best Buy award. In May, the team in Chattanooga reached a new milestone when they produced the 250,000th Passat. Over 31 percent of the Passat’s sold in May were TDI® Clean Diesels.

Total Jetta deliveries for May accounted for 15,910 units, up 4.8 percent over last year. The Jetta Turbo Hybrid continues to gain momentum with 473 deliveries in May and was recently named a “Top Ten Green Car” by Kelly Blue Book.

Total Beetle deliveries for May were 3,718 units, a 23.9 percent increase versus the prior year. The Beetle R-Line® Coupe arrived in showrooms in early May, with a 210-horsepower turbocharged engine, an increase of 10 horsepower over the current Beetle Turbo with improvements in fuel economy.

The Tiguan saw a significant increase in sales with 2,635 units delivered, up 6.5 percent over prior year sales.

Total sales of the Golf (including Golf R and GTI) were 3,052 units.

Volkswagen’s high-mileage, TDI® Clean Diesel models accounted for 22.3 percent of sales in May, and 21.7 percent for the year, the best May and year-to-date results ever.

Volkswagen’s TDI® Clean Diesel powertrains, along with hybrid and other advanced fuel-saving technologies, are part of Volkswagen’s Think Blue initiative. Think Blue is tied to Volkswagen’s efforts to promote sustainable mobility and to drive education and behaviors to support our planet. In May, Volkswagen announced significant investments to further promote its Think Blue philosophy, including a $10 million commitment to the Trust for the National Mall, launching a new partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, and joining USA Cycling in Chattanooga for the Professional Road and Time Trial Championships.