Audi to Refit Software on 850,000 Diesel Vehicles Outside North America

Audi AG (NSU.XE) said it is offering free software retrofit services for 850,000 diesel-engine cars outside North America, the latest effort by a car maker to keep diesel cars popular among consumers and mollify regulators.

The company didn't label the action a recall, but said it aimed to improve emissions of cars with six- and eight-cylinder engines meeting EU5 and EUR6 standards.

"The action will take place in close consultation with Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority," Audi said Friday.

The software refit will also apply to Porsche and Volkswagen models equipped with the same engines. Audi didn't provide details on the cost.

In a scandal that came to light in 2015, Audi's parent Volkswagen AG (VOW.XE) admitted to rigging millions of diesel cars to cheat emissions tests.

Audi added that investigations by the KBA haven't been concluded and if further action is required, Audi will implement the needed solutions.

On Thursday, Daimler AG (DAI.XE) said it would tweak engine software on more than three million diesel vehicles to make emissions cleaner. The maker of Mercedes-Benz cars is being probed in the U.S. and Europe on whether it may have cheated on emissions. Daimler hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing.

-Write to Monica Houston-Waesch at nikki.houston@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 21, 2017 08:02 ET (12:02 GMT)