All of the vehicles use Volkswagen’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6.
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Their parent company has even stopped the sale of the 2014-16 Porsche Cayenne and the 3 liter diesel 2015-16 Volkswagen Touareg.
Volkswagen Australia managing director Michael Bartsch said this week he was “in contact” with VW’s head office, and would keep customers and local authorities “updated with any relevant developments that directly affect the Australian market”. “The majority of the vehicles concerned have diesel engines”, said Volkswagen.
Germany has ordered a probe into new allegations that the country’s largest automaker Volkswagen had not only manipulated the emissions test results of over 11 million diesel cars sold around the world, but also cheated on the carbon dioxide emissions in 98,000 petrol cars in Europe.
The next chapter of the VW emissions scandal is unfolding with VW, Audi and Porsche discontinuing sales of certain models equipped with 3-litre V6 diesel engines in the U.S. and the reveal that Carbon dioxide emission figures might also be rigged. Dobrindt placed the number of cars with false Carbon dioxide ratings at 200,000 units in Germany alone, out of a total of 800,000 in Europe.
New testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has discovered the “defeat device” software in another 10,000 diesel luxury vehicles sold under the VW, Audi and Porsche brands. It estimates that these vehicles could be emitting up to nine times the legal limit of certain pollutants.
On Tuesday, VW admitted that it had understated the carbon dioxide emissions for 800,000 cars, widening the scope of a scandal that has forced the ouster of a CEO and prompted investigations and lawsuits on several continents. Affected vehicles are thus more expensive to drive than their buyers had been led to believe.
EPA officials said they tested VW and other vehicles for the presence of cheating software, and VW is the only one found with a violation. On the diesel side are 2012 and later models of the Polo, Golf, and Passat.
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The automaker says a part in the camshaft can shear off, causing loss of vacuum in the power brakes. “I do think it is apparent that they’re struggling to get their arms around… what appears to be a pretty significant problem”, spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily briefing.
