UPDATE: VW Names New Head for U.S. Brand Sales

Volkswagen AG has named Hinrich Woebcken to head its VW-brand passenger vehicle operations in North America, effective April 1.

His new appointment makes him chairman of VW Group of America, VW Mexico and VW Group Canada. Michael Horn will continue as president and CEO of VW Group of America, with responsibility for the group’s Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and VW brands.

Woebcken succeeds Winfried Vahland, the former head of VW Group’s Skoda brand. Vahland was named to head the company’s just-combined U.S., Mexico and Canada units last September at the same time the company’s diesel emission cheating scandal surfaced. He quit three weeks later, well before his formal Nov. 1 start date.

Reports at the time said VW was suspending the restructuring until it learned what regulatory penalties it will face for rigging diesel-powered cars to evade U.S. emission limits. The Environmental Protection Agency still hasn’t approved a remedy to bring the vehicles into compliance.