Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 491,600 light commercial vehicles to customers across the globe in the 2019 trading year. The brand thus finished a narrow 1.6% below the level of the previous year (499,700).
While the company recorded modest growth in the European markets, the crisis-laden economic situations in the Middle East, South America and Australia led to drops in sales there that could not be fully compensated for elsewhere.
Ireland
Here in Ireland we saw a total market of 22,500 vehicles in 2019, which was 7.1% higher than in 2018.
“In 2019 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles finished the year with 19.1% market share which was up from 17.3% in 2018. The Caddy was Ireland’s best-selling vehicle and Crafter continued its phenomenal growth in the large van segment with its front, rear and all-wheel drive combinations, various floor lengths and roof heights and a choice of manual or automatic transmission and Startline, Trendline and Highline specification levels,” said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Director Alan Bateson.
Western Europe
The brand supplied 338,600 vehicles to customers (prior year 337,000; +0.%). Germany was the brand’s largest single market with 126,600 vehicles shipped (prior year 127,600; -0.8%).
Largely unaffected by Brexit, Great Britain, with 48,200 units shipped (47,000; +2.4%), remained the most significant export market for the company’s product lines. Other Western European markets:
France: 20,300 vehicles (-3.8%)
Spain: 18,000 vehicles (+8.4%)
Italy: 13,500 vehicles (+0.4%)
Eastern Europe
Here the company recorded consistently positive numbers in 2019, with a total of 47,600 vehicles being supplied to customers (+8.8%).
North and South America
In Mexico (North America region) shipped units of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles models increased by 18% to 11,300. In South America sales numbers fell by 14.5% to 38,000 vehicles.
Brazil, where the company achieved 18,900 shipped units (+6.6%), was the region’s biggest individual market in 2019.
In Argentina the number of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles models shipped fell due to the recession by 30.4% to 11,200 units.
Africa and Asia-Pacific
In Africa the company supplied 20,700 vehicles in the year (+7.4%). In the Asia-Pacific region 23,200 vehicles were sold (-13.4%). This was due in particular to the economic downturn and natural disasters in Australia.
Middle East
Geopolitical tensions and a fall in currency values, especially in Turkey, caused Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ shipped unit figure to drop by 35.8% in the Middle East region to 12,200 vehicles.
The ongoing volatile market conditions in Turkey in particular led to a dramatic fall in sales for the company there, dropping to 9,500 vehicles (prior year 16,450; -%).
Deliveries by product line:
T series: 192,455 vehicles (4.8% decline)
Caddy: 155,136 vehicles (1.8% decline)
Amarok: 72,513 vehicles (10.4% decline)
Crafter: 70,974 vehicles (21.4% increase)
