Some analysts said the stronger-than-expected results for the six months ended June were a sign a recovery might be taking hold, and Volkswagen (VW) shares jumped more than 5 percent after the news on Wednesday.
"Today’s press release is the start of a move in the right direction," said Barclays analysts, who have an "overweight" rating on VW shares.
However, the German company also said it was taking another one-off hit of 2.2 billion euros, "mainly related to further legal risks predominantly arising in North America.