SYDNEY – Volkswagen Australia is checking with its German head office to see if its cars sold Down Under have the same emissions-cheating software that have been uncovered in the USA.In the US, Volkswagen has halted all sales of its

diesel vehicles, following an ongoing investigation into software that has

reportedly enabled thousands of cars to cheat emissions tests.

Australia’s federal Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development,

which regulates vehicle emissions standards Down Under, told AAP that it is

awaiting clarification from Volkswagen Australia about whether its cars here

have the same software.

A spokesman for Volkswagen Australia said the company is seeking more

information from head office. “We will be providing further information

once we have more details,” he said.

Volkswagen is the world’s largest carmaker by sales. It already faces fines of

more than US$18 billion (A$25 billion), and US authorities have reportedly

launched a further criminal investigation into the company.

The company has admitted it equipped about 482,000 cars in the US with software

that covertly turns off pollution controls when the car is being driven, and

turns them on only when it detects that the car is undergoing an emissions

test.

Vehicles affected – at least in the USA – are four-cylinder VW and Audi diesel

models built since 2008.