MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – The Mexican authorities may impose a fine of almost $7 billion on Volkswagen for equipping some 32,000 diesel cars sold in the country with software that allows vehicles to cheat on emissions tests, Federal Prosecutor for Consumer Defense Lorena Martinez said Monday.
"This will be a direct sanction following the obvious assumption that the cars did not comply with the norms and the consumer was deceived in terms of characteristics and properties they did not posses," Martinez said in a statement.
In late September, Volkswagen admitted that it had sold 11 million diesel engine cars worldwide that emitted up to 20 times more greenhouse gas than showed in official emissions tests.
According to previous estimates, the carmaker could face up to $18 billion in fines.