VW emissions cheating scandal: Recall of diesel cars to start in January

VW drivers affected by the car maker's emissions scandal will have their diesel cars refitted to remove so-called defeat devices from January next year.

The recall of 11 million vehicles worldwide will last to the end of next year, Volkswagen’s new chief executive Matthias Müller told a German newspaper.

In the UK, 1.2 million VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars will need to have software updated.

Müller added that just a few employees were involved in what has become the biggest crisis in the auto giant’s history.

Volkswagen admitted last month that it had cheated US emissions tests using software that capped emissions during inspections, sending its shares into free fall and severely denting its reputation.

Müller was brought in after former chief Martin Winterkorn stepped down in the wake of the revelations, and has already warned staff that “massive cutbacks” are in the offing to deal with the fallout.

As well as a significant number of jobs, its supercar brand Bugatti could be in the line of fire, according to reports.

“We must make massive savings to manage the consequences of this crisis.

“While the technical solutions to these problems are imminent, it is not possible to quantify the commercial and financial implications at present,” he told workers at the Wolfsburg plant.

The company has so far set aside €6.5 billion (£4.78 billion) to cover its costs.