Volkswagen group 2007 sales set to beat 6 million units

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- The Volkswagen group is on track to sell more than 6 million vehicles this year for the first time, Europe's biggest carmaker said today, citing robust demand in China and South America.

Group vehicle sales rose 11.2 percent to 528,500 units in October, bringing 10-month sales to a record 5.14 million, up 8.5 percent, it said in a statement.

VW shares had eased 0.5 percent to 171.99 euros by 1342 GMT, while the DJ Stoxx European car sector index fell 2 percent.

Sales in Europe's tough car markets rose 3 percent in the first 10 months to 3.02 million vehicles, including a gain of 0.8 percent in western Europe to 2.61 million units.

That offset a 3.2 percent sales decline in Germany, its largest single market with 866,000 vehicles delivered.

Sales in its Asia-Pacific region swelled by a quarter to 875,000 units. China was the region's biggest market, with sales up 30 percent to 758,000 cars.

South America sales gained 30.6 percent to 607,000 units, with a 33 percent rise in Brazil to 472,000 cars.

U.S. sales edged up 0.6 percent to 273,000 vehicles.

The company had already reported Volkswagen brand sales rose 8.7 percent to 3.04 million vehicles. It said on Thursday that Audi brand deliveries gained 8 percent to 818,000 units.

Skoda sales rose 12.9 percent to 516,000 cars, Seat brand sales eased 0.9 percent to 355,000, while VW commercial vehicles sales rose 11.9 percent to 399,000 vehicles.

Sales of Bentley models gained 16.5 percent to 8,600 cars, Lamborghini sales rose by a fifth to 2,000 units and Bugatti almost doubled sales to 67 cars.