RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: “It’s clear from our research that despite all the talk about the real world emissions of pollutants from diesel cars and light commercial vehicles exceeding test values, motorists are generally far more concerned about their vehicles’ fuel economy than they are about its emissions of pollutants”.
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Affected models include the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, as well as the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 from the 2009-2016 model years.
The South Korean ministry found that emissions from Tiguan diesel vehicles using EA189 engines breached standards when the auto was not under the usual test conditions, such as when the air conditioner was on or when the auto accelerated.
Volkswagen should submit its detailed recall plans including how to improve emissions of the cars in question to the ministry by January 6, it said in a statement.
Bumper stickers identifying recalled and readjusted cars will be made obligatory to ensure consumers comply with the recall as early as possible, the ministry said. “And then they said, ‘We have to assume that in the United States of America part of the software that controls the [engine] heating function can probably be considered a defeat device”.
Hong Dong-gon, spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, explains the test results on Volkswagen vehicles in Sejong City on Thursday. The automaker said last week it will cut spending by 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) next year.
“We will take necessary measures based on legal procedures and requirements under the relevant laws and regulations”, it said in a statement.
Volkswagen has come up with a plastic technical fix for its 1.6 liter TDI engines in the wake of the so-called “Dieselgate” scandal surrounding emissions from the German group’s diesel engines.
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Those companies to be included in the investigation include top names like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, Peugeot and Ford, as well as South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors. Testing of 15 other automakers’ diesel models would be completed by April. Volkswagen shares fell to 5.4 percent in South Korea already.
