Volkswagen says 4-month group sales rise more than six per cent to 3.2 million cars

HANOVER (GERMANY): German carmaker Volkswagen said it increased sales across its multi-brand group more than six per cent in the first four months to over 3.2 million cars, a new record.

Europe's largest automotive group has a "good chance" to exceed a 10-million delivery target four years early in 2014, Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said at the annual general meeting on Tuesday in Hanover, Germany, reiterating comments made on March 13.

VW's core passenger-car brand on Monday posted a 4.6 per cent gain in year-to-date sales to almost 2 million autos as April deliveries alone rose 6.8 per cent to 513,400 cars.

Separately, VW said earlier on Tuesday that its bid to take full control of trucks division Scania cleared a major hurdle after a sufficient number of shareholders at the Swedish company accepted its buyout offer.