BERLIN (AP) -- Volkswagen AG said Thursday it will focus on keeping competitive amid the financial crisis and pledged to build more efficient cars.

Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen is Europe's biggest automaker. Its brands include VW, luxury car makers Audi and Bentley and mid-range brands Skoda and Seat.

The company's ongoing efficiency program, dubbed "18 plus" aims to keep the car maker ahead of its rivals by using the "strength of the company's brands," with an emphasis on designing more efficient and ecologically friendly models in the future.

VW said it plans to spend 8 billion euros ($10 billion) annually on investments and the development of new models and automotive technologies.

The company hopes to sell 6.6 million VW cars by 2018 and more than 10 million cars from the whole group by then. Last year, it sold 6.2 million cars worldwide that pushed revenue 4 percent higher to 108.9 billion euros compared with 104.8 billion euros in 2006.

Volkswagen shares closed down 6 percent at 350 euros ($441) in afternoon trading.