Volkswagen Group's first quarter sales of just under 2.5 million vehicles globally was down less than 1 percent despite an increase in March over a year ago, according to the company.
"We expect to see a positive growth impetus in China in the second quarter," said Fred Kappler, head of group sales, in a statement.
For March, the German automaker with a production plant in Chattanooga delivered 990,900 vehicles, up 2.5 percent.
"The growth drivers for the Volkswagen Group were Europe and the North and South America regions, which saw a marked increase in new vehicle deliveries," Kappler said.
For the first quarter, VW delivered 213,700 vehicles in the North America region, up 6 percent from a year ago, the company reported.