Volkswagen Group said its second-quarter operating profit rose 29.9% despite a 1.8% drop in vehicle sales after the VW brand launched a raft of higher-margin sports utility vehicles and amid rising sales at Porsche and Skoda. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company's operating profit rose to 5.13 billion euros ($5.71 billion), up from 3.94 billion euros in the second quarter last year. The operating profit jump was magnified by the absence of a diesel charge VW booked in the year-earlier period.