NEW DELHI: German car maker Volkswagen (VW) AG will recall as many as 13 models and 3.4 lakh vehicle units in India as per a global recall to replace a software that has come in the eye of the storm as it helped the car maker to pass emission tests. In India, VW used a derivative of its defeat device in India, Mint reported on Thursday. “The total number of cars with EA 189 diesel engines in India that qualify for the technical updates is approximately 3,43,800,” the company said in response to a Mint questionnaire. The car models to be recalled are Volkswagen’s hatchback Polo and sedans such as Vento, Jetta, Passat; Skoda’s Fabia hatchback, Yeti SUV and sedans such as Rapid, Laura and Superb; and Audi’s A4 and A6 sedans apart from Q3 and Q5 SUVs.
“A lot of these cars are the previous generation ones which are already out of production / sale,” the company spokesperson said. There is no clarity on the timeframe for the recall process to be completed. “The technical updates on the cars with EA189 diesel engines are a part of a voluntary recall and it will be difficult to say by when the process will be completed. Volkswagen Group in India is working at full speed to have all the updates approved from the authorities and implemented in customer cars,” the spokesperson said.
Volkswagen, however, said that it has the technologies in its global portfolio that can be brought to India to meet the highest of the emission norms. India leapfrogs to BS-VI emission norms from 2020. But, VW said technologies to meet such norms will be high. “There is a long roadway to adapt to the changing regulatory environments from both the sides—the automotive manufacturers as well as the infrastructure… On the other hand the fuel also needs to be made available across the country much prior to the new regulations come into force and this is going to be a big challenge,” the spokesperson added.
