VW promotes Porsche boss Muller to group head

Volkswagen chose one of its own rank and file, Matthias Muller, as new group Chief Executive Officer.

Muller was plucked by the embattled German automobile manufacturer from his previous post as boss of the prestigious Porsche unit.

In a brief statement, Muller said he would leave “no stone unturned” and proceed with maximum transparency to extract the right conclusions from the “current situation” and win back trust for the Volkswagen Group.

“Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry. If we manage to achieve that then the Volkswagen Group with its innovative strength, its strong brands and above all its competent and highly motivated team has the opportunity to emerge from this crisis stronger than before.”

Muller also emphasised the need for a change in the company’s culture.

In parallel, the head of VW’s work council, Bernd Osterloh, reportedly attributed the scandal in the States to “a small group”.

“A small group has done damage to our company ... we need a climate where mistakes are not hidden.”

The decision followed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) findings that 482,000 cars sold in the States had been outfitted with so-called ‘defeat devices’ that altered the engines’ performance when they detected the vehicle was undergoing an emissions test.

Many of the manufacturer’s most well-known brands and models were among those subjected to tests, including the Audi A3, the VW Golf or the ubiquitous Beetle.