German car maker Volkswagen has struggled to leave its emission cheating scandal in its rearview mirror - but results from its first quarter suggest that the company is getting back on track.

In the first three months, its brands enjoyed a 10.3% sales bounce, rising to €56.2bn.

Europe's top-selling car brands in 2016

The group - which also includes Audi, Seat, Porsha, Skoda, and Bentley - enjoyed a 7.8% increase in its operating profits, which amounted to €4.4bn.

The company has undergone a period of restructuring since its emissions scandal broke in 2015.

This has included streamlining its production processes and discontinuing unpopular car models.

It has also given greater power to individual brands to make decisions to react to changing trends and shifts in motorists' demands.

The company is also pumping money into the development of electronic cars, ride sharing and automated driving technology.

Matthias Müller, VW chief executive, commented: "Our efforts to improve efficiency and productivity are paying off. We are encouraged by today’s strong results. They strengthen our resolve to continue our chosen path."