Volkswagen recently showed off the Twin-Up, a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid version of the Volkswagen Up.

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand recorded a rise in sales in November, with volumes up 3.4 percent to 522,100 (November 2012: 504,800) units. 

Around 5.40 million vehicles were handed over to customers from January to November, an increase of 3.4 per cent. This compares to 5.22 million in the same period last year. 

“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,” explained Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. “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 Asia-Pacific region, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand grew deliveries by 15.8 per cent from January to November, handing over 2.46 million vehicles to customers (compared to 2.12 million last year), of which 2.26 million units (1.92 million last year, resulting in a 17.5 per cent increase) were delivered in China (including Hong Kong), the region’s largest single market. In contrast, deliveries in India declined to 54,300 cars (63,600 cars last year, resulting in a 14.7 per cent decrease in sales).

In North America, the delivery level was unchanged, with the brand handing over 563,000 vehicles, of which 373,700 (394,100 last year, a 5.2 per cent drop) new models were handed over to customers in the United States. In the South America region, deliveries from January to November declined by 13.8 per cent to 660,600 (766,300 last year) units, of which 500,300 (601,100 last year, a 16.8 per cent drop) were handed over in Brazil.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars delivered 1.51 million vehicles (1.58 million last year, a 4.8 per cent) on the overall European market in the period to November, of which 746,800 cars (782,700 cars last year, a 4.6 per cent drop) were handed over in the Western Europe region (excluding Germany). At 516,900 (552,200 last year) units, deliveries to customers in the home market of Germany from January to November were down 6.4 per cent. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 242,300 (246,500 last year, a 1.7 per cent drop) vehicles to customers in Central and Eastern Europe in the period to November, of which 142,700 cars (151,400 cars last year, a 5.7 per cent drop) were delivered in Russia.