DieselGate Be Damned - Volkswagen Overtakes Toyota As World Largest Automaker In Q1

Go figure. I wonder exactly how those sales were obtained. Perhaps with profit being sacrificed? Drop the price low enough and sales will climb.

The money on the hood at VW/Audi dealers is MASSIVE. Fire-sale leases are abundant. Want a Jetta for $99 a month? That can be done.

VW sales is from CHINA. But, in the USA sales are down significantly. Eventually, the Chinese will realize VW/Audi-is a POS just like in the USA.

If it is still open - go to your friendly neighborhood VW dealer - and see just how low they will go to get a sale - only Hyundai will go better.

@TomM, your ignorance surfaces yet again. If you knew anything about the data from marketing, you would know that VW and Chrysler are the most highly incentivized mainstream cars. Data about how much incentive is on the hood is communicated to dealers so as to maintain sales. That data shows that Hyundai-Kia discounts no more than Toyota, Ford, Chevy, or Honda, but that VW and Chrysler do. Currently, the aforementioned brands are not offering gobs of money on the hood. That will happen across the industry this summer. Hyundai-Kia, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, and Honda's sales are sufficient that customer bribes are no necessary.

Nissan splits the difference between "fire sale" and industry norm.

Airbus sold more than Boeing too (in some quarters). At what cost? Usually 50% off market price and is backed by the entire EU.

VW is taking a big hit to earnings by establishing large reserves against future claims. Hidden behind the numbers are large incentives to boost sales to keep factories going and make shareholders think things are not so bad. If you are writing off $6 billion to reserves what's another billion or two in incentives...no one is going to notice but the top line looks healthy.

That is because VW has a legitimate excuse for the writeoffs that people easily know. THAT won't be the case in a couple of years though so they must do it now.

Also remember that VW is still not a major Player in the USA - but in europe - it will take more than a few emissions - which European consumers car far less about - to make the difference as long as there are diesel cars to buy - because Diesel fuel is cheap - you simply cannot justify buying a gas engine in most cars.

Discounts come off the top line and show up as a less revenue per vehicle sold. Analysts will be able to figure that out. The reserves are an expense against revenue and lower profit as Tom says. Usually if a company has bad news like this it becomes an opportunity to pile on everything else that may be going bad. Get it out of the way.

Ho wmany of those are diesels, i bet in europe that would be aound 45% and of that the nox levels are sky high. Europe is not as strict as USA in thi area. VW, the worlds most polluting car firm..