In all, 53,761 are VW branded vehicles, including commercial vehicles, 31,839 are Audis, and 8,800 are Skodas.
SIVA stressed that “the problems recognised do not affect the safety of the vehicles in question nor do they represent any danger for traffic”.
It added that all new vehicles on sale in Portugal meet the legal requirements relating to environmental standards currently in force.
VW and all the group brands affected are next month to submit the technical solutions proposed for the vehicles for the EA189 diesel motor in question.
The company last week admitted that 11 million of its diesel vehicles worldwide had been fitted with software that activates pollution controls during tests, but automatically switches them off when driving in normal conditions. It now faces huge fines in the US, where the scandal was discovered, and investigations in countries around the world.
The controversy has already led to a string of resignations at the group, including that of its chairman.
In related news, Seat Portugal has decided as a precautionary measure to suspend the sale of the 50 automobiles in stock with the EA189 motor, which are being analysed by Volkswagen, Seat’s parent company, to see whether they have software that has been discovered in other models to manipulate the results of European Union-mandated tests for polluting emissions.
The decision was first reported on Diário Económico’s website on Tuesday, after VW’s Spanish unit Seat announced earlier that it had sold worldwide some 700,000 diesel vehicles with the motor fitted with the illicit software.
Contacted by Lusa News Agency, Seat Portugal said that the suspension of the 50 vehicles in stock with the motor in question “is a preventive measure until this situation relative to the motors is checked out.”
In the meantime, the VW group “is assessing the impact of this motor in fulfilling European norms”, the official said, stressing that the motors “are safe, and do not bring into question the driving and safety of users”.
If a recall of vehicles turns out to be in order, the official added, the group will contact all its clients and cover any costs that may arise. TPN/Lusa
For more on this story, go to page 19 of this edition.