VW global sales up as Europe, China growth offsets U.S. drop

BERLIN — Volkswagen says its global sales rose 5.1 percent in June compared with a year earlier, fueled by gains in China and Europe and bolstering its performance over the year’s first half. Deliveries in the U.S. were down significantly.

The company said Wednesday that the Volkswagen group — whose brands also include Audi, Skoda and Porsche — delivered 883,400 vehicles last month.

Sales were up 4.4 percent in Europe and 18.7 percent in China. But they dropped 11.7 percent in the U.S., where VW’s diesel emissions scandal started last year, and 32.7 percent in Brazil.

Over the year’s first six months, deliveries rose 1.5 percent to 5.12 million.