12:40 pm, September 24, 2015
HUNDREDS of UK Skoda, Audi and Seat dealers are bracing themselves for news that their customers’ cars are part of the growing VW emissions scandal.
Several models among the VW-owned marques are fitted with the Type EA189 diesel engine at the centre of the rigged tests revelations.
VW software programmed to act as a so-called ‘defeat device’ during emission testing in America is installed alongside the EA189 engine.
More than 11m VW Group cars worldwide are fitted with the ‘defeat device’, and given the penetration of diesel engines into the European market – around 50 per cent of all car sales are diesel – tens of thousands of Britons are likely to be driving cars fitted with the software.
A total of 330,000 VW Group vehicles, including 140,000 VWs, have been sold in the UK so far this year, around half of them diesel powered.
VW has said that its current cars meet European market EU6 emission regulations. However, it has not confirmed if pre-EU6 engined cars sold in Europe are affected.
Skoda, SEAT and Audi UK spokespersons contacted by Car Dealer were unable to say when they would be able to release any information about affected vehicles.
‘At the moment we have no information and are waiting to hear ourselves,’ said a spokesman at Seat’s UK press office.
The EA189 2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine at the centre of the failed emission test scandal is known to have been fitted to the following VW Group models, all of which could be potentially affected:
Audi
A3 2010-2015
A3 Cabrio 2010-2015
A4 2008-2015
A5 2008-2015
A6 2011-2015
TT 2008-2014
Q3 2011-2015
Q5 2009-2012
Skoda
Octavia 2009-2013
Superb 2008-2015
Yeti 2009-2013
Seat
Altea 2009-2014
Leon 2012-2015
Alhambra 2010-2015
Altea 2009-2014
Exeo 2008-2013
VW
Beetle 2009-2015
Golf 2009-2015
Jetta 2009-2015
Passat 2014-15
Scirocco 2009-2015
Eos 2009-2014
CC 2012-2015
Touran 2010-2015
Sharan 2009-2015
Tiguan 2009-2015
Car Dealer also understands it has been fitted to some models of the Jeep Patriot.
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