Audi has been summoned by the German motor vehicle authority KBA for a formal hearing about whether certain diesel A6 and A7 models have been fitted with previously unknown defeat device software, Germany's transport ministry said.
In Germany, around 30,000 vehicles diesel vehicles fitted with V-6 TDI engines may have been fitted with illegal emissions software, German weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported earlier on Tuesday. Production of the A6 model has been halted in response to the investigation, the report said.
"The KBA has requested a hearing on suspicion the Audi V-6 TDI A6/A7 models have been fitted with an illegal defeat device," Germany's transport ministry confirmed in a statement.
Around 60,000 vehicles worldwide have been fitted with the suspect engines, the transport ministry said, adding that the pan-European road certification of the Audi models in question was issued in Luxembourg.
Audi said on Tuesday that no cars in the United States were affected by these emissions software issues.
Volkswagen's main luxury division said it contacted Germany's KBA automotive watchdog of its own volition about the problem and stopped deliveries of the affected models.
