The scandal has wiped about a quarter off Volkswagen's market value, forced out its long-time chief executive and rocked both the global car industry and the German economy.
On Tuesday, the company said it would cut investment plans at its core VW division by 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) a year through 2019 and speed up savings as it braces for a clean-up bill which some analysts believe could reach 35 billion euros to cover regulatory fines, vehicle recall costs and lawsuits.
The premium Audi division, source of about 40 percent of group profit, will also cut spending in the coming years, two Volkswagen sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Audi managers are reviewing the brand's 2015-19 budget of 24 billion euros and are due to outline possible cost cuts to its supervisory board by its next meeting on Dec. 3, they added.
Differences of Opinion
Vahland was at Volkswagen for more than 25 years, leading its rapid expansion in China before heading Czech division Skoda.
Skoda said he was leaving of his own choice because of unspecified differences of opinion over the company's organization of its North American business, confirming what sources close to the matter earlier told Reuters.
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View all Courses "This decision is expressly not connected to the current events around the diesel topic," a Skoda statement said.
German weekly Auto Bild earlier reported Vahland's departure, noting he was passed over for the top job at Volkswagen after Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn resigned Sept. 23 because of the scandal.
Volkswagen had appointed 58-year-old Vahland to join the management of the VW brand on Nov. 1 as head of its operations in the United States, Mexico and Canada as part of a broader reshuffle that led to Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller taking the helm of the group.
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