HERNDON, VA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/01/13 --

• Best January since 1974 with 29,018 units delivered and a 6.7 percent increase over the prior year
• Chattanooga-built Passat had its best January ever with 8,856 units delivered
• Best January for Golf since 2000 with 1,532 units delivered
• Jetta sedan achieved 9,089 units in January
• Sport utility vehicles, the Tiguan and Touareg, reported sales of 2,114 and 962, respectively
• High-mileage, clean diesel TDI models accounted for 19 percent of sales in January

Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) today reported 29,018 units sold in January, a 6.7 percent increase over prior year sales. The company achieved 29 consecutive months of year-over-year growth and the best January since 1974. Over the last three years, the company has more than doubled its annual sales volume, demonstrating its long-term growth strategy, Mach 18, is gaining momentum in the U.S. market.

"With all the buzz that comes with the North American International Auto Show, the release of our Super Bowl advertisement, 'Get Happy,' and a full line-up of new and refreshed vehicles, Volkswagen is off to a solid start in 2013," said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. "While the economic conditions continue to be somewhat uncertain, we expect Volkswagen to achieve continued growth and to outpace the industry this year."

Volkswagen's 60-second Super Bowl XLVII advertisement stays true to the brand's storytelling heritage of "human stories, told simply." It builds on the upbeat themes of recent ads, "Smiles," released in September 2012, and last year's Super Bowl spot, "The Dog Strikes Back," named a leading 2012 ad on YouTube by Google. In 2011, VW released "The Force" Super Bowl ad, which received more than 56 million YouTube hits to date, and was recently named one of the best ads in the past 24 years by USA Today.

Last week, Volkswagen teased its 2013 Game Day spot with "Sunny Side," featuring well-known YouTube sensations, and renowned reggae artist Jimmy Cliff singing "The Partridge Family's" theme, "C'mon, Get Happy."

The Chattanooga-built Passat continues to deliver strong results with 8,856 units sold, marking its best January ever.

Jetta sedan remains the volume leader for Volkswagen with sales totaling 9,089. With the addition of the Jetta Turbo Hybrid, Volkswagen now offers seven cars that can deliver more than 40 mpg on the highway -- a feat no other automaker can match in the United States.

Recently recognized as "best in class vehicle in the $20,000 - $25,000 price range" in Kiplinger's Personal Finance 2013 buyer's guide, the Jetta TDI demonstrates its strong consumer appeal and class-leading fuel economy in the compact sedan segment.

The Beetle and Beetle Convertible sold a combined 2,232 units. The Golf saw a 24.9 percent increase in January sales with 1,532 units delivered. A new North American produced Golf will soon be added to line up. Production of the seventh generation Golf "A7" will commence the first quarter of 2014 at the Volkswagen de México manufacturing facility in Puebla, Mexico. This latest move reinforces the Volkswagen's commitment to the North American market, where it will invest more than $5 billion in the next three years.

Sport Utility Vehicles, Tiguan and Touareg reported sales of 2,114 and 962 units, respectively.

Volkswagen's high-mileage, clean diesel TDI models account for 19 percent of sales in January, a 14.7 percent increase over the prior year.

JANUARY 2013 SALES

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                                   Jan 2013      Jan 2012      Yr./Yr.%
                                                               Change
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Golf                               1,532         1,227         24.9%
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GTI                                915           1,231         -25.7%
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Golf R                             202           192           5.2%
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Total Golf/GTI/Golf R              2,649         2,650         0.0%
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Jetta Sedan                        9,089         9,564         -5.0%
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  SportWagen                       1,433         1,398         2.5%
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Total Jetta                        10,522        10,962        -4.0%
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Beetle Coupe                       1,730         1,401         23.5%
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  Convertible                      502           -             -
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Total Beetle                       2,232         1,401         59.3%
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Eos                                250           365           -31.5%
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Passat                             8,856         6,318         40.2%
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CC                                 1,192         1,415         -15.8%
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Tiguan                             2,114         2,308         -8.4%
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Touareg                            962           831           15.8%
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Routan                             241           958           -74.8%
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TOTAL                              29,018        27,208        6.7%
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About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Eos, Golf, Golf R, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan vehicles through approximately 610 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

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