VW Says New SUV Will Help Revive U.S. Sales

Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn predicts the company's new midsize SUV will help reverse its 13-month sales slide in the American market.

The company also is building a factory in Mexico to make Audi cars. And it is overhauling its product lineup in Brazil.

Last year VW surpassed General Motors Co. to become the world's highest-volume carmaker after Toyota Motor Corp. The company's worldwide sales are up 5% to 2 million vehicles so far this year, including a 7% jump to 513,400 units in April.

But Winterkorn says bolstering sales in North and South America will be critical to the company's goal of outselling Toyota by 2018.