US Volkswagen owners offered cash sweeteners

The scandal broke in September for support for the 9000 or so local owners of vehicles powered by engines fitting with emissions-cheating software. Photo / Getty

American owners of Volkswagen vehicles caught in the brand's global diesel emissions scandal are being offered sweeteners of more than $1500 each, as their Kiwi counterparts wait for relief.

Volkswagen NZ general manager Tom Ruddenklau indicated today he had been taken by surprise by the offer of $US1000 ($1528) to about 500,000 United States diesel vehicle owners.

He said his subsidiary operation had been asking Volkswagen in Germany since almost as soon as word of the scandal broke in September for support for the 9000 or so local owners of vehicles powered by engines fitting with emissions-cheating software.

Those include almost 2000 Audis and 1400 Skodas as well as 5548 Volkswagen cars, utes and vans.

Ruddenklau said he wanted to assure customers that relief would soon be at hand, and he believed the US sweetener was because a recall in that market was likely take longer to begin than in New Zealand and elsewhere.

"I think their emissions legislation is significantly more stringent, so it looks like they have decided to look after those customers because perhaps they are in for a long wait."

Although he was still waiting for details of when a recall was likely in this country, he had received indications from Germany that it would be early next year.

But he said "a Volkswagen customer is a Volkswagen customer" regardless of location, and that he shared the frustration of Kiwi owners about how long it was taking to get information from Germany.

"I think it's important that customers don't think we are shirking our responsibilities because we really want to help them," said Mr Ruddenklau, whose European Motor Distributors operations is owned by the Giltrap Group.

"It's really frustrating when there's a move like this that sets a precedent and we simply don't have information for our market."

One Kiwi VW Tiguan owner hungering for relief told the Herald he did not like "being kept in a holding pattern for this long, continuing to drive what I know is a gross polluter."

"As a VW TDI [diesel] owner in New Zealand, I'm looking forward to receiving this [US] offer also," he told the Herald.

"I feel guilty every time I drive the vehicle, and I could have at least another year of it.

"I'm sure people people behind me see the TDI badge and back away."