‘Fixed’ VW thirstier, says AAA

VOLKSWAGEN has rejected new real-world testing that suggests cars fixed after the Dieselgate scandal are using more fuel than before.

The Australian Automobile Association claims a 2010 Volkswagen Golf diesel it tested used up to 14 per cent more fuel after the recall fix, and emitted up to four times as many oxides of nitrogen as the accepted laboratory limit.

The latest claim comes at the worst possible time for Volkswagen as it is fighting class actions and a court battle against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Volkswagen spokesman Paul Pottinger rejected the AAA “real-world” comparison.

“The German government approved Volkswagen’s software update on the basis that it did not adversely affect the emissions or fuel economy of vehicles in test conditions,” he said.

He said leading motorist organisations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland had tested Volkswagens and found they performed as expected after the software update.

Volkswagen has recalled about 100,000 cars in Australia, including from sister companies Audi and Skoda, as a result of the Dieselgate scandal.

Globally, it has paid billions of dollars in fines and compensation, but it is resisting paying compensation in Australia because it says the vehicles don’t contravene Australia’s less stringent emissions standards.