South Korea notes that Nissan Motor had manipulated emissions on a diesel sport utility vehicle and that it prepared to fine the automaker and take legal action against the head of its Korean operations.
The government stated the Japanese automaker had utilized a so-called defeat device that assists a car’s emissions management system switch off throughout regular driving conditions.
Nissan rejected any these claims.
“Nissan Motor has never ever illegally manipulated any vehicles we have produced so far and used defeat devices in those automobiles,” the automaker’s Korea unit stated in a statement.
The South Korean environment ministry stated it planned to fine Nissan 330 million won ($279,920) for manipulating emissions on Qashqai SUV. It will likewise order a recall of the 814 Qashqai automobiles sold in the country up until now.
South Korea performed tests on 20 diesel automobiles, after discovering in November that Germany’s Volkswagen AG had cheated emissions tests.