(MENAFN- AFP) The US environmental regulator said Friday that Volkswagen's diesel cars for the new 2016 model year have not yet been authorized for sale in the United States.
The Environment Protection Agency said neither it nor the California Air Resources Board were ready to permit the new models on the road after recent model diesel VWs were shown to have "defeat devices" designed to get around tough emissions rules.
"Volkswagen does not have a 2016 model year EPA certificate of conformity ... for its four-cylinder diesel vehicles because CARB and EPA are not yet convinced that the data presented by Volkswagen demonstrates that the vehicles will perform as required," said Christopher Grundler, director of the EPA's Office of Transportation & Air Quality.
Volkswagen introduced its new 2016 Passat model -- which includes a diesel version -- in New York on Monday just as the scandal over cheating on pollution controls broke.
At that event Volkswagen America's chief executive, Michael Horn, said the company "totally screwed up," candidly admitting wrongdoing. On Wednesday Martin Winterkorn, chief executive of the global Volkswagen company, resigned over the scandal.
VW spokesman Jeannine Ginivan said the company is still working on getting US approval for the new Passat. "We are working on it. We still plan to have the 2016 Passat going on sale by the end of the year," she told AFP.
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