Jeep, Suzuki may have violated emissions rules - Dutch watchdog
Dutch prosecutors said today they will investigate possible misuse of vehicle emissions software by Suzuki and Fiat Chrysler's Jeep.
They were responding after the Dutch road authority (RDW) found that the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Suzuki Vitara models produced unacceptably high levels of toxic emissions during road tests.
The RDW said in a statement that its tests of more than a dozen car makers in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal had singled out Jeep and Suzuki. It added that other manufacturers were not found to have violated regulations.
The Dutch agency has been investigating what it called "impermissible defeat devices" for the past year, following the disclosure in the United States in 2015 that Volkswagen had used software to alter its emissions during testing.
The RDW's investigation centred on nitrogen oxide emission levels in diesel cars that appeared much higher than legally allowed during road driving rather than under laboratory test conditions.
The agency said that in all cases carmakers argued that the reason for the discrepancy was software intended to protect the motor from harm under certain conditions.
Such software is permissible under current...