Audi A1 built in Brussels also suspected in Volkswagen scandal

The Audi A1 produced in Vorst could also be implicated in the scandal known as Dieselgate, in which motor manufacturer Volkswagen is accused of using on-board software to falsify the results of emissions tests. 

Federal minister of consumer affairs Kris Peeters, Flemish minister of mobility Ben Weyts and consumer organisation Test-Aankoop have all demanded further information from the company.

Following revelations of the practice with Volkswagen cars, attention turned to other subsidiaries of the company, including Skoda, Seat and Audi. Four Audi models are reported as being examined: the A1 (pictured), A3, A4 and A6, all equipped with the suspect EA189 diesel engine with electronics containing the fraudulent software. The software is thought to have been fitted in 11 million vehicles built between 2008 and 2014.

In a letter to Volkswagen Belgium, Test-Aankoop demands “an immediate end to the practice” and calls for the company “to provide complete clarity and take the necessary measures to limit the damage and compensate defrauded customers”.

A spokesperson for Kris Peeters said that “he is currently investigating the affair thoroughly, in co-operation with the appropriate services”. Weyts, meanwhile, told VTM News that he had demanded details on the matter from Volkswagen. “If we don’t get complete openness, we will have to carry out our own investigation. But I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Meanwhile, the federal government announced subsidies worth €100 million for the production of an electric vehicle at the Audi plant in Brussels. The factory is one of those being considered by the company for the production of the new electric model from 2018, when production of the A1 comes to an end. The three regional governments have already agreed to a package worth €35 million.

Photo courtesy Kickaffe/Wikimedia