VW, Mercedes and BMW to update ANOTHER 5.3million diesel cars across Europe to slash toxic emissions
BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen have agreed to issue software fix on ANOTHER 5.3million cars in a bid to cut pollution.
The trio of German manufacturers struck a deal with European authorities over an update on diesels fitted with Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines.
The tweak is expected to reduced dangerous nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 30 per cent as diesel cars continue to come under fire.
Customers will able to get the work done free of charge from a main dealer.
The majority of the 5.3million cars are VWs, including Audi, SEAT and Skoda models. Of the 3.8m VW Group cars, 2.5m have already been upgraded as part of the emissions scandal.
A further 900,000 Mercedes models will be called back alongside 300,000 from BMW.
Last month Mercedes issued a £195m recall on three million cars and Audi, Porsche and VW said it would update 850,000 cars fitted with top-of-the-range V6 and V8 diesels.
Alongside the latest update, car makers are setting up an incentive scheme to get drivers of older, polluting models into new low-emissions vehicles.
BMW has kickstarted this with an "environmental bonus" worth up to €2,000 (£1,800) across Europe for owners of Euro 4 or older cars who trade in for a new Mini or BMW.
The new car must have a Euro 6 engine or electric/hybrid technology.
Harald Krueger, chairman of the board of management at BMW said: "The meeting [between BMW and German authorities] was an important step.
"We support the initiative and are investing in the Sustainable Urban Mobility fund. State-of-the art diesels will definitely play an important role in future mobility, as well."
A similar policy had been expected to be introduced by the UK government when it announced diesel and petrol sales would be banned from 2040.
But the only commitment was to consult on a "very targeted" diesel scrappage scheme in the future.
