Authorities in Germany today raided the factories of Hyundai and Kia over claims they allowed more than 210,000 diesel vehicles fitted with illegal defeat devices to be sold.
This engine software, which became infamous following the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal in 2015, can detect when the car is being tested and then change engine performance to improve results.
The software in this instance is thought to have come from suppliers Bosch and the former Delphi Technologies, according to a statement from the Frankfurt state prosecutor's office.
Business premises at eight properties in Germany and Luxembourg were searched as part of the operation coordinated by the European Union agency Eurojust, Reuters reports.
A spokesman for Hyundai, which owns Kia, confirmed the raids and said the company was working with the authorities.
It added: "Hyundai is fully cooperating with the Public Prosecutor and will not make any further comments on this matter at this time."
Just last month, the Volkswagen Group agreed to pay out £193 million to more than 90,000 UK motorists over the Dieselgate scandal. The group reached an out-of-court settlement following a seven-year battle.
As reported, the 2015 scandal stems from the identification of ‘defeat devices’ in diesel-fuelled Volkswagen Group powertrains, which covered up the fact that they were emitting several times over the legal amount of nitrogen dioxide.
Affected were some 11 million Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen vehicles, including 1.2 million in the UK.
Since it broke, it has cost the Volkswagen Group some £26 billion in settlements, compensation, fines and buy-back schemes worldwide.
This is a breaking story that will be updated as new information is gathered.
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