VW says sales gained 14.5% in April

The biggest European carmaker, Volkswagen, reported annualised sales growth of 14.5 percent in April and said on Friday it expected to sustain its momentum in the coming months. The group, which also owns brands like Audi, Lamborghini, Skoda and Seat, delivered a total of 690,000 vehicles in April, a statement said. "We have made a good start to the second quarter. We aim to maintain this momentum over the coming months," VW sales director Christian Klingler was quoted as saying. In the four months from January to the end of April, the VW group sold a total of 2.66 million vehicles worldwide for a gain of 13.9 percent. VW aims to become the world's biggest auto manufacturer by 2018 and is getting a boost from its established presence in China, now its biggest single market, and other emerging economies. In the first four months of the year, group sales in China were 19.5 percent stronger at 741,200 units, while an increase of 256.6 percent was reported in India, though to a more modest total of 37,200 vehicles. Sales were higher in all regions, the company said, and a breakdown by brands also showed better results for its ailing unit Seat in Germany and Italy. VW's commercial vehicles division posted growth of 31.1 percent in the four-month period, meanwhile. VW is starting a fresh push to merge its holdings in the heavy truck makers MAN and Scania with its own commercial vehicles brand to create a new global player in that sector.