Demand in Europe was still sluggish, but the German automaker expects that to improve too in the coming months as consumer confidence rebuilds.
The company warned in February it expected lower earnings this year, even with sales remaining stable, because of high costs and inflationary pressure.
The vans division saw an adjusted margin of 15.6%, up from last year's 12.6%, boosted by improved deliveries and pricing.
Overall, global growth is likely to remain subdued, but inflation is gradually declining, energy prices are expected to be less volatile, and raw material prices are improving, it said.
($1 = 0.9082 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.