VW sales skid 14.6 percent for July

View our past VW SUV coverage

photo A worker cleans a Volkswagen logo.

Volkswagen of America today reported a 14.6 percent drop in July sales over a year ago to 30,553 units, with decreases in both of its top-selling sedans.

Sales for the Chattanooga-made Passat fell 13.8 percent in July to 8,668 vehicles compared to the same month last year, despite its diesel-engine version claiming more than 28 percent of its total volume, the company reported.

Jetta sales of 13,142 were off 1.8 percent.

A bright spot for VW were sales of its Golf GTI, which rose 39.7 percent.

Also, the company has appointed John Schilling to the post of general manager of product communications.

In this role, Schilling, 45, will have responsibility for leading product communications for the Volkswagen brand in the U.S. Schilling will report to Scott Vazin, executive vice president of group communications.

"John's in-depth automotive experience, particularly in communications strategy and media relations, will help continue to build the Volkswagen brand as we gear up for future growth in this market," Vazin said.

Schilling most recently served as the senior manager for Audi of America since October 2012. Prior to that, Schilling served in a number of communications roles for the Nissan and Infiniti brands for over the past 15 years.

Upcoming Events