HERNDON, Va. -

Volkswagen Group of America revealed its new president and chief executive officer on Monday, and assuming that post starting Oct. 1 will be Jonathan Browning, who currently is tasked with the global directing of the automaker's national sales companies.

Before his time with VW, Browning had a great deal of experience working for Big 3 automakers.

He served as General Motors' vice president of European sales, service and marketing from 2001 to 2008 before taking a position as vice president of global sales, service and marketing in 2008, a post he held until joining VW in June.

Prior to his time with GM, Browning was at Ford. He began as Ford Europe's executive director of marketing. Browning then switched over to serve as global managing director of Jaguar. He joined GM in 2001.

"Volkswagen will play an even stronger role in the important U.S. market going forward," said Christian Klingler, a member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG for sales. "Jonathan Browning is an acknowledged expert on this market, its customers and its sales structures."

Klingler added: "The U.S. will always be one of the largest and most important markets for automobiles."

Klingler emphasized that the automaker hopes to sell 200,000 Audi vehicles and 800,000 VW models in the U.S. by 2018.

"Volkswagen and Audi will become leading brands in the U.S.," Klingler boasted.

KBB Calls Browning a Good Fit

Offering some industry reaction, James Bell, executive market analyst for Kbb.com, applauded VW's choice for president and CEO.

"The announcement of Jonathan Browning as new CEO of Volkswagen of America strikes us as a perfect balance between reigniting passionate stewardship of the proud brand and establishing a level of business experience and honesty necessary to rebound from years of losses," he pointed out.

"Browning's resume notes stops at Ford and GM, and therefore he should be well-placed to understand and appreciate the specifics of the U.S. market. In order for VW of America to succeed to the level required by its parent company, they must step away from previous positioning as 'almost as good as a BMW' and reset their brand image as 'better than a Honda or Ford … with European style included free of charge,'" he surmised.

Continuing on, Bell also dispensed some advice for Browning, urging him to use the new Jetta's price advantage as a way to get Asian-brand buyers to switch to VW. In particular, he mentioned the Toyota Corolla buyers as an opportunity and a challenge to win conquest sales.

"Early reports and reviews of the 2011 Jetta are tepid at best, so Browning needs to take advantage of its price improvement compared to the previous model as a way to lure wary or bored Asian-import buyers," Bell shared.

"Volkswagen of America's best short-term challenge should be to convince Toyota shoppers that they deserve more style and presence than the terminally bland Corolla. VW also can ride the waves created by GM as they introduce the Chevrolet Cruze and move toward the goal of disrupting Asian-import owner perceptions and misconceptions," he added.

Bell went on to discuss more of the challenges facing Browning and VW. Though it has been expanding in several areas, VW has not yet "recaptured the magic they once held as America's top import brand," he claimed.

The automaker has said it wants to take Toyota's perch as the top automaker in the world within the next eight years, and to do so it will have to perform strongly in the U.S, Bell noted.

"It is a daunting challenge, but Browning and his U.S. team have the financial support of the parent company and a new factory in Tennessee to build products designed with fickle U.S. consumer tastes and complexities in mind," Bell concluded.

Klingler had noted that the automaker is pumping $1 billion into the Chattanooga, Tenn., plant and is rolling out a new marketing scheme in the United States, as well. Moreover, the new Jetta made its debut in Times Square.