AJAX, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 01/22/13 --

Editors Note: There are two photos associated with this Press Release.

In the debut race for their Polo R WRC race car, factory drivers Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia brought their specially-prepared Volkswagen home in second position. The team won the opening stage of the world-famous rally and ended up winning two individual stages on their way to an astonishingly good finish in a race fraught with difficult and ever-changing conditions.

Drivers encountered a combination of snow, ice and torrential rain over the course of the event, which caused organizers to cancel the final two stages due to safety concerns.

The second Volkswagen team, featuring drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were running in fifth position near the end of the race when they were forced to retire after sliding off the course during the special stage over the Col de Turini.

"The team did an exceptional job in the last four rally days and prepared the cars perfectly," said Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

Nine-time world champions Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena took the checkered flag at the event.

The next round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) will take place in Sweden from February 7th through the 10th.

Fans can follow Volkswagen's rally efforts at www.volkswagen-motorsport.com, or at our microsite dedicated to the WRC, www.rallytheworld.com.

About Volkswagen Canada:

Founded in 1952 and celebrating its 60th year in the country, Volkswagen Canada is headquartered in Ajax, Ontario. It is the largest volume European automotive nameplate in Canada, and sells the Golf, Golf Wagon, Golf GTI, Beetle, Jetta, Eos, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Routan, and Touareg through 136 independent Canadian Dealers. It is the leader in affordable TDI Clean Diesel vehicle sales in Canada, and forms part of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and is Europe's largest automaker.

Visit Volkswagen Canada online at Volkswagen.ca.

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