Emissions: More VW models, Porsche hit
WASHINGTON: Volkswagen used devices to cheat air pollution tests in diesel luxury vehicles, US environmental regulators have said, in a new blow to the automaker already reeling from similar allegations regarding millions of smaller diesel engines.
The US Environmental Protection Agency said it is now looking at 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines used mostly in larger, more expensive models such as the Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle in addition to engines on Jettas, Passats and other models.
Volkswagen, however, said “no software has been installed” in its 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines “to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner.”
VW made similar denials for more than a year to US regulators before admitting to cheating on the four-cylinder diesels.
The V6 diesel was designed by VW’s Audi unit and widely used in premium models sold by the VW, Audi and Porsche brands in model years 2014 through 2016.
“It appears that it is the EPA that has discovered this violation and not VW, raising concerns around reporting and integrity within VW,” a source said.
The move pulls Porsche and Audi deeper into the scandal that has already engulfed corporate parent Volkswagen AG and its mass-market VW brand, shaving nearly 20 billion euros ($22 billion) off its market cap.