BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen says its global deliveries were down 0.9 percent in February compared with a year earlier as lower sales in China and western Europe outweighed improved performances in the continent's east and the United States.

The Volkswagen Group, which includes brands such as Audi and Skoda, said Friday it delivered 686,900 vehicles last month.

Sales in western Europe were down 4 percent to 251,700, while sales in China dropped 1.9 percent to 223,000.

In central and Eastern Europe, however, deliveries rose 11.6 percent to 55,500. The picture also was brighter in the Americas — U.S. sales rose 13.3 percent to 42,800 and South American sales climbed 4.1 percent to 35,400.

In the year's first two months, the Volkswagen Group delivered 1.5 million vehicles, 2.6 percent fewer than a year earlier.