FRANKFURT, July 25 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest carmaker, Volkswagen AG , said on Friday it aimed to build 135,000 units of its new Golf model this year and that full production would be in full swing in the second quarter of 2004.
"We will produce 135,000 units this year in our Wolfsburg, Mosel and Brussels plants and the full volume will be achieved in the beginning of the second quarter next year in these three plants," VW Chief Executive Bernd Pischetsrieder told a conference call.
The group is banking on the top-selling Golf to boost profits next year.
VW said earlier its operating profit fell to 616 million euros in the three months to the end of June from 1.4 billion a year ago, while pre-tax profit fell 46 percent to 679 million.