Volkswagen says sold record 6.24 million vehicles worldwide in 2018

German carmaker Volkswagen on Thursday said it had sold a record 6.24 million vehicles around the world last year, a 0.2 percent increase compared with 2017.

"2018 was marked by significant uncertainty in some regions, especially in the second half," VW brand sales chief Juergen Stackmann said in a statement but he added that new products had helped offset that.

Volkswagen said sales growth in South America, the United States and Europe had compensated for a decline in sales in China and the negative effects of new WTLP emission standards.