Volkswagen Australia confirms ACCC fight

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has confirmed it will fight the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over allegations surrounding the diesel emissions scandal, less than 24 hours after the company said it would review proceedings before it headed to the courts.

Yesterday the ACCC initiated court action against VGA having accused it of deceptive or misleading conduct following the sale of 57,000 vehicles in the past five years with a so-called “defeat” device designed to reduce emissions only during testing procedures.

While VGA had responded by saying it would review the claims made by the ACCC, VGA corporate communications manager Paul Pottinger has now confirmed the company would fight the allegations in court.

“Volkswagen Group Australia will be contesting the matter in the Federal Court,” Mr Pottinger told GoAuto.

“Yesterday we reviewed the case, we’ve reviewed it and we’re fighting it.”

As reported, ACCC chairman Rod Simms yesterday accused VGA of having engaged in “extraordinary conduct of a serious and deliberate nature” with “declarations, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising, findings of fact and costs” to be sought.

VGA managing director Michael Bartsch had previously been clear that he believed Volkswagen had not broken any Australian laws because this country had vastly different emissions regulations to that seen in the US and some European countries.

He also claimed all Volkswagen diesel products met these lower standards even with emissions-altering software.

Mr Bartsch reiterated in a statement that a software reflash performed at a Volkswagen dealership was the fastest and most desirable outcome for consumers.