Volkswagen Group India to recall 3.2 lakh diesel cars for emission scandal

Volkswagen Group India has approached the Government of India- Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) with possible solutions for the emission violating EA189 diesel engine. Approximately 3.23 lakh vehicles will be recalled which will comprise of Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda model ranges, which have been installed with the ‘defeat device’ software that will be require updating.

The technical measures will be forwarded to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI by the German manufacturer, and only when approved will the respective brands commence the technical fixes. The technical measures will be needed to be carried out in a step-wise procedure. Volkswagen has confirmed that the installed software will not affect the performance, technical safety and roadworthiness of the diesel vehicles.

Talking about sales figures of Volkswagen Group India from 2008 till the end of November 2015, about 1.98 lakh cars from Volkswagen, 88,700 cars from Skoda and 36,500 cars from Audi have been powered with the EA189 engine. The EA189 engine is currently used on multiple output ratings which include 1.2-litre, 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel mills.