The admission appears has piled fresh pressure on the company’s management, which is roundly suspected of complicity of deceiving regulators and consumers about the emissions produced by some of its diesel engines. The scandal has spread to Asia as South Korea said it would inspect up to 5,000 VW Golf and Jetta cars, as well as Audi A3s.
The company is in hot water at home too, where the government is afraid that the scandal will damage the image of of the whole domestic car industry and its reputation for technological excellence. The auto industry, and its supply chain, are ultimately responsible for around one in every seven jobs in Europe’s largest economy.