Volkswagen sales up nearly 5% in 2013

Volkswagen AG says it delivered a record 9.5 million cars and commercial vehicles last year, a 4.8 percent increase, as growing Chinese and North American demand compensated for a slight decline in Europe.The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said that the Volkswagen Group - which includes Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Seat - finished the year with a strong performance in December, when sales rose 6.3 percent over a year earlier to 833,200.European deliveries slipped 0.5 percent to 3.65 million, but Chinese sales rose 16.2 percent to 3.27 million. North American sales were 5.6 percent higher, including a 2.6 percent gain to 611,700 in the U.S. Volkswagen board member Christian Klingler said Saturday the company expects "market developments on a level similar to 2013" this year.