VW: 430,000 Euro-spec 2016 cars affected by emissions scandal

Volkswagen has found that approximately 430,000 Euro-spec vehicles from the 2016 model year are programmed with an illegal defeat device designed to cheat on emissions tests.

The list of affected TDI-powered cars includes an eclectic mix of models such as the Audi A1 (and the Volkswagen Polo that it’s based on), the SEAT Ibiza, the Škoda Rapid, the Volkswagen Scirocco and the new sixth-generation Volkswagen Transporter that was introduced last summer.

As expected, the issue isn’t limited to diesel-powered cars. The list of illegal gasoline-burning engines includes the 1.0-liter TSI fitted to the SEAT Leon and the aforementioned Polo, the 1.2-liter TSI that powers the Jetta, the Passat’s 1.4-liter TSI, and the 2.0-liter TFSI that’s found under the hood of the Golf, among others.

Volkswagen has sent its latest findings to the relevant authorities so that the cars’ CO2 emissions can be re-assessed, and it is complying with the on-going federal investigations in Europe and abroad. Websites have been published in dozens of languages to help customers tell whether or not their car is fitted with a defeat device.

The Wolfsburg-based car maker is still looking for a way to fix the issue, and it stresses that all affected cars remain safe to drive.