In a year shaped by a persistently weak economic environment, more intense competition and political challenges, the Brand Group Core continues to focus on successful model ramp-ups and execution of the performance programs in the various brands. The Brand Group plans to boost profitability in the second half of the year through a clear focus on strict cost efficiency and the realization of synergies generated by cooperation, as well as through growth. The performance programs in the brands are already expected to have an increasing effect on earnings in the coming months.
The Brand Group Core reached several milestones in the first half of the year with the launch of attractive model innovations such as the Tiguan, Golf, T-Cross and the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer. At the same time, as expected, earnings were affected during the early stages of these new models. The Brand Group Core therefore anticipates significantly more positive momentum in the coming months, as the market presence of the new models intensifies.
The Brand Group Core remains on course to meet its target of lifting the operating return to 8 % from 2026: to this end, the Brand Group is placing a clear focus on the strict execution of the performance programs to reduce costs and boost productivity, and on further reducing complexity, shortening development cycles and systematically tapping into synergy potentials.
