Volkswagen of America Receives the Most 2009 Segment-Level APEAL Awards From J.D. Power and Associates

Volkswagen Receives Four Awards in 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study(SM)

HERNDON, Va., July 22 -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that they have received the most segment-level awards from the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study(SM). The Volkswagen Tiguan, CC, Passat and GTI all ranked highest in the respective segments, each capturing APEAL awards. Additionally, the Jetta came in second in the compact car segment, and the all-new, European tuned, seven-passenger Routan came in second in the minivan segment.

"It is quite an honor for Volkswagen of America to receive more awards than any other automaker in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 APEAL Study," said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "Earning four segment-level APEAL awards further demonstrates Volkswagen's commitment of producing high quality, fuel efficient, and fun-to-drive models that continue to appeal to our owners," added Barnes.

The APEAL Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, and is based on owner evaluations of more than 90 vehicle attributes. The 2009 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2009 from more than 80,900 purchasers and lessees of new 2009 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.

"Throughout the years, vehicle models achieving high APEAL scores have been shown to benefit from faster sales, less need for cash incentives and higher profit margins on each vehicle sold," according to J.D. Power and Associates.

  For more information on Volkswagen, visit media.vw.com.

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  Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Eos, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.