Volkswagen Admits It Cheated Emissions Test – 11 Million Cars Affected

Volkswagen has confirmed that engine management software on some of its diesel-powered models allowed it to cheat emissions testing, giving affected cars the ability to return a lower result on an official test yet emit a larger volume of pollutants during regular driving.

Uncovered by an investigation by the United States' Environmental Protection Agency, the software - dubbed a "defeat device" by the EPA - loaded a different engine tune when it detected it was being put through an emissions test.

And Volkswagen has now confirmed that the defeat device issue could affect up to eleven million cars worldwide.

Any car equipped with the VW Group's EA189 turbo diesel inline four could be affected, including cars from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda. The EA189 was superseded by the EA288 (which isn't affected) in 2012, but continues to be sold in some markets.

Volkswagen News and Reviews