VW Group's, Audi has suspended 2 engineers after its larger diesel engines were found to have evaded emissions limits

Volkswagen Group's luxury unit Audi has suspended two engineers after its larger diesel engines were found to have evaded emissions limits in the U.S., Rupert Stadler, Audi’s CEO, was quoted as saying in a newspaper report on Thursday.

Volkswagen and Audi notified U.S. authorities last Thursday that about 85,000 vehicles with 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engines were fitted with emissions-control equipment that was not disclosed to U.S. regulators.

The news widened a scandal at parent VW Group which has led to the ouster of its long-time CEO Martin Winterkorn and wiped more than 20 billion euros ($21 billion) off the group's market value.

Audi now is investigating whether employees in technical development and other departments deliberately manipulated emission-control devices and has suspended two engineers, Stadler said in an interview with the Donaukurierregional newspaper, without giving any further details.

The V-6 diesel engine was designed and assembled by Audi at its factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, and widely used in premium models sold by the group's VW, Audi and Porsche brands in model years 2009 through 2016, Audi said on Monday.

The Audi suspensions take the number of officials confirmed to have been put on leave across the group as a result of its internal investigations to eight, including at least six senior executives.

VW is facing an emissions scandal on three fronts: the cheating software installed in about 11 million smaller diesel vehicles worldwide; irregular carbon-dioxide ratings on about 800,000 vehicles; and the probe into 85,000 larger diesel engines in the U.S.

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