VW posts forecast-beating Q2 profit but outlook dims

The world's largest automaker plans to spend more than

WOLFSBURG, Germany: German carmaker Volkswagen posted a forecast-beating 23 percent rise in underlying quarterly operating profit on Wednesday, even as difficulties conforming to new anti-pollution rules cloud the sales outlook for passenger cars.

A 5.5 percent rise in vehicle sales helped lift second-quarter operating profit before special items to 5.58 billion euros from 4.55 billion a year-earlier, compared with analyst consensus for 4.98 billion in a Reuters poll.