Sales of 'new' 2015 TDIs keep VW ahead; Audi rises

Volkswagen and Audi brands bucked a bad industry sales month in April, finishing up for the month -- though VW got some help from repaired turbodiesel engines to stay in positive territory.

Volkswagen said it delivered 27,557 new vehicles in April, a gain of 1.6 percent. That total included 3,196 previously unsold 2015 VW turbodiesels outfitted with the modified and approved Generation 3 2.0-liter diesel engines, spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan confirmed.

The repaired vehicles were the first turbodiesels VW has sold in the U.S. since November 2015, when regulators halted sales of 3.0-liter VW diesels as the automaker’s diesel scandal spread. Without the 2015 TDIs, VW’s sales would have been off 10 percent for the month.

Meanwhile, Audi stretched its ironman streak to 76 consecutive months of sales gains, with its sales climbing 5.1 percent in the month. The premium brand said it had 18,711 sales in the U.S. in April.

At VW, sales of the Golf Sportwagen more than tripled in the month, accounting for nearly half of all Golf family sales in April. Beetle sales were also up by double digits in the month, while Passat sales also gained. Sales of the Tiguan and Toureg crossovers fell.

Meanwhile, Audi’s gains were led by its Q5 and Q7 crossovers, each of which rose more than 22 percent in the month. A5 and A4 sales were also up in April, as were the R8 and Allroad.