Golf, Passat, Jetta and Audi A3 - the problem models in the American market - worked cleanly in a test regime, while in everyday use nitrogen oxide emissions can be 40 times more than the allowed norm.
Even though the automotive concern has announced that the cars sold in Europe accord to all the standards, Angela Merkel has announced that there'll be a swift investigation over the European models as well.
The Latvian government asks not to express premature conclusions — especially since the country has no equipment to check nitrogen oxide exhaust levels.
"We don't make these cars. That's why, if the Germans conclude that there are any problems, these problems will be European. And Brussels will decide upon the course of action.
If this is confirmed, it'll be quite a scandal," Kaspars Gerhards (National Alliance), the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister, told Latvian Television.
