Volkswagen remains the Number 1 vehicle brand in Ireland following the first month of trading in January. The Volkswagen group who have Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and SEAT have taken circa 26% of the January market, making them by far and away the biggest car group in Ireland.

Volkswagen Group Ireland CEO, Simon Elliott said that the upturn in passenger car sales for the brand and in particular the upturn in Commercial Vehicle sales for Volkswagen is a strong and positive economic bellwether as we past the first month of sales in 2014.

Year to date figures show that both Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are up by 26% and 25%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2013. Volkswagen is Ireland’s most popular brand after the first month of 2014. Volkswagen Group Ireland’s other brands also enjoyed continued success in January, with Audi remaining the number one premium brand in the country. Skoda enjoyed their best January ever, delivering more cars in January 2014 than in any other year in their history in Ireland. The success story of 2013, SEAT, continues to show strong growth, with a 20% increase in sales compared to January 2013.

“Obviously we are delighted with the strong start to 2014, with Volkswagen Passenger Car Sales up 26% on last year, but perhaps the strongest indication of an upturn in the motoring industry and the economy as a whole is the strong rise in demand Commercial Vehicle Sales, with a 25% increase. It all adds up to Volkswagen being the top vehicle brand in early 2014, for Passenger and Light Commercial vehicles combined. We are delighted with the impact of the Volkswagen Investment Package and we start February with a very strong order bank as new stock arrives in dealerships.”