Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

 

 

In fiscal year 2007, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles continued the positive development of recent years. At 489 thousand vehicles, deliveries to customers worldwide during the reporting period were 10.7% higher than in 2006. Sales figures increased in the key markets of Europe and in South America. In Brazil, an impressive growth rate of 32.0% was achieved. At the end of 2007, the Caddy Maxi was added to the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles model range.

 

Sales to the dealer organization were 427 thousand units, up 10.1% on 2006. Sales of the Caddy and Multivan/Transporter models continued to increase in 2007, once again making a significant contribution to the success in the commercial vehicles business. Worldwide sales of the Caddy, which is available both as a commercial vehicle and as the Caddy Life, a passenger car, amounted to 145 thousand vehicles (+5.6%). A total of 213 thousand Caravelle/Multivan and Transporter models were sold, an increase of 5.3% compared with the previous year.

 

In 2007, worldwide sales of heavy commercial vehicles manufactured in Brazil increased to 47,206 units (+26.4%). A total of 39,409 trucks were sold in the 5 to 45 tonnes weight classes, 27.3% more than in the previous year. This enabled market leadership in Brazil to be maintained. Sales of buses were 7,314 (6,383) thousand units. 

 

 

In fiscal year 2007, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles produced 435 thousand units, an increase of 1.8% on the previous year. This figure does not include the Crafter models manufactured in the Daimler plants in Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde. The main production facility in Hanover manufactured a total of 162 thousand (170 thousand) units of the Caravelle/Multivan and Transporter models. At the Poznan plant in Poland, production was on a level with the previous year, despite the start-up of the Caddy Maxi. The Brazilian plant in Resende produced 47,082 heavy trucks and bus chassis, 33.7% more than in the previous year.

 

 

 

 

In 2007, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles generated sales revenue of €9.3 billion, thereby exceeding the previous year’s figure by 14.9%. This growth was primarily attributable to further increases in the Caddy, Caravelle/Multivan and Transporter models and in heavy commercial vehicles.

 

As a result, operating profit increased to €305 million, an increase of €167 million on 2006. The operating return on sales improved from 1.7% in 2006 to 3.3% in 2007. In the coming years, the success of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be continued with additional models.