"Volkswagen loses 'damning' dieselgate class lawsuit in UK," 6 April 2020 

Volkswagen faces the threat of a hefty "dieselgate" payout in Britain after a court Monday ruled in favour of more than 90,000 drivers whose vehicles cheated emissions tests.

Following adverse rulings and compensation payouts elsewhere, the High Court in London ruled that the German auto giant was liable in Britain, too.

The ruling adds pressure on Volkswagen just after the carmaker said last month it was preparing to shutter most of its European plants, joining a slew of other carmakers as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts supply chains and sends demand plummeting.

The British judgement concerned "defeat devices" installed in about 1.2 million Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda diesel vehicles in Britain, which artificially lowered emissions.

The court found the devices were a "fundamental subversion" of European Union tests designed to limit noxious pollutants, and will rule later on compensation to the owners.

VW admitted in 2015 to fitting 11 million vehicles worldwide with software to make engines appear less polluting in regulatory tests than in real driving conditions.

So far the legal fallout has cost VW more than 30 billion euros ($32.3 billion) globally in costs, fines and compensation, most of it in the United States and Germany...

The company, however, said it would consider grounds for appeal. "While Volkswagen is disappointed that the outcome was not in our favour, the judgement relates only to preliminary issues," it said in a statement.