By Monica Houston-Waesch

FRANKFURT--Volkswagen AG said both group and brand sales rose on the year in January, from a year earlier, supported by demand in China and western Europe, as sales in Russia and Brazil plunged.

Group sales were up 3.7% in January, while brand sales rose 2.8% from the year-earlier month.

The group was bolstered by a 24% rise in demand for its Porsche brand, and a 21% rise in demand for MAN vehicles, Volkswagen said. All brands registered rises during the month, compared with January 2015.

A fall in demand in Russia, down nearly 30%, and in Brazil, down 39%, was offset by a 14% rise in China and a 2.9% increase in western Europe. Demand in the U.S. fell 7% from a year earlier.

The company is coping with the fallout of an emissions-cheating scandal that erupted in September.

Earlier this month, Volkswagen postponed the release of its 2015 earnings figures and its annual shareholders' meeting.

Write to Monica Houston-Waesch at nikki.houston@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 12, 2016 09:03 ET (14:03 GMT)