Nissan denies using defeat device in Korean-market Qashqai

Nissan today responded to a final report by the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) that the Nissan Qashqai sold in Korea was found to be arbitrarily setting its engine system to illegally control gas emissions. Sales of the Qashqai have been suspended in Korea.

The company's statement says, “Nissan Korea’s priorities are our customers, dealers and working closely and transparently with the Korean government concerning real-world NOx emissions of the Nissan Qashqai.

"Senior Nissan representatives met several times with Ministry of Environment officials to discuss the government’s concerns. We maintain, as we have throughout the discussions, that we have complied with all existing regulations and did not use an “unjustified arbitrary setup” or an illegal defeat device in the vehicle. The Qashqai sold in Korea has been properly homologated to Euro 6 emission standards. This vehicle was certified by the Korean government last year under regulations permitting the importation and sales of vehicles that comply with these emission standards.

"We are now studying the conclusions reached by the MOE and are currently exploring our options.”

The Japanese carmaker has said that it has informed Korean Ministry of Environment officials that it is ready to implement technical improvements that will reduce real-world NOx emissions.