BUSAN -- A representative from the Korean unit of emissions-rigging scandal-marred German carmaker Volkswagen said the company is set to submit software to the Korean Ministry of Environment to fix about 125,000 affected vehicles, a critical step to push for its recall plan here.
“The software will be presented in the near future (to the ministry). Once the software is tested and approved by the ministry as planned, we expect the recall can start this summer,” Volkswagen Korea CEO Thomas Kuehl told The Korea Herald in an interview during the media preview day for the 2016 Busan International Motor Show on Thursday.
This marked the first time for Volkswagen Korea to officially address the recall plan, but Kuehl still refused to offer a specific timeline for the plan, which could raise concerns for owners of the defective vehicles over further delays in fixing the software built into their cars.
Two recall plans submitted by the troubled German carmaker in the first quarter of this year were rejected due to lack of tangible solutions to fix the defective software.
When it comes to a financial redemption option for Korean consumers, Kuehl hinted that Volkswagen will focus on car repair rather than refunds in Korea.
A number of affected Korean car owners are ensued in a legal battle with Volkswagen, requesting refunds rather than a recall. In the U.S., the German carmaker is nearing a settlement to give affected vehicle owners the option of having Volkswagen buy back or fix their vehicles.
“I would like to remind you that the U.S. has different laws and regulations and discussion is still going on in the U.S. Since Korea has the same emission standard as Europe, we need to compare it with Europe. In Europe, some countries has started (to) recall and we believe we can start the same recall in Korea soon,” he said.
Asked about plans to win back customer trust on the brand, the CEO said the company has been working on several projects over the last couple of months to provide a better customer experience so they can feel closer and more sincere.
The diesel emissions scandal is expected to affect the company’s diesel car-dominant product portfolio in Korea as well.
Kuehl said the company is trying to strengthen its gasoline and green car lineups, but it doesn’t mean the company will shun diesel vehicles.
“At the same time, we are closely monitoring (the) market and customer’s feedback. Still, many customers prefer diesel as it has many advantages,” he said.
Despite the reputation issue caused by the diesel scandal, the Volkswagen Korea head assured that the company would continue new car launches every year for business growth.
“As we promised, we want to introduce two to four new models every year. Today, we have unveiled two very important new models -- the all-new Tiguan and Passat GT -- at the motor show, which will be launched (at the) end of this year. Both are strong segment leaders in the global market and fully equipped with state-of-the-art features,” he said.
By Seo Jee-yeon (
jyseo@heraldcorp.com)