VW's Audi to replace China chief amid accelerating sales decline

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Audi (VOWG_p.DE) division will replace the head of its Chinese operations as the luxury carmaker grapples with an accelerating sales decline in its key market.

Dietmar Voggenreiter, who has led Audi's business in the world's largest auto market since 2009, will leave his post at the end of the year and be replaced by Joachim Wedler, who currently oversees Audi's strategy on model lines, Audi said in the July edition of in-house newspaper "Audi Mobil."

VW's flagship division is reviewing a 2015 target of delivering 600,000 cars in China after its sales slowed markedly in the first six months, culminating in a 5.8 percent drop in June.

The Audi publication gave no reason for the reshuffle and spokesmen didn't return calls seeking comment.

The Ingolstadt-based carmaker said last week it would provide an update on its sales target for China when publishing financial results for the first half of 2015 on July 30.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer and Irene Preisinger; Editing by Mark Potter)