German news publication Handelsblatt [German language]obtained a copy of the letter, which confirms that the 1.2L, 1.6L and 2.0L variants of the EU5 Type 189 diesel-four cylinder are all affected. Volkswagen again apologized for the actions of “a few” and vowed to make good both with regulators and its customers.
Of note is an assertion by VW that the engines in question are “currently being examined to see whether they comply with the legal requirements,” [translated quote from source] which may indicate that VW’s intention to detail a refit plan by the end of the week may be on shaky ground, and could explain why the company has been vague with the particulars.
Some reports have suggested the affected vehicles may need to be outfitted with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to bring emissions back down to acceptable levels without a significant reduction in power output and fuel economy.
A urea-injection retrofit is expected to be extremely expensive and may not even be technically feasible. As an alternative, VW could take the cheaper route of simply tweaking the software to run in the emissions-compliant test mode. A software reflash may be less expensive up front, but could cost VW later as the deluge of class-action lawsuits begin to put a price tag on lost value and owners’ higher fuel costs.
The German automaker has already put aside 6.5 billion euros (~$7.25 billion USD) to cover costs associated with the crisis. It is unclear if the total has been allocated solely for the recall costs, or if the charge reflects anticipated fines and civil-litigation damages.
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