Germany investigates Audi over use of defeat device in cars: Der Speigel

German motor vehicle authority KBA is probing premium automaker Audi to see whether its diesel-engined A6/A7 models have been fitted with a previously unknown defeat device, German weekly Der Spiegel said on Tuesday.

In Germany around 30,000 diesel vehicles conforming to the Euro 6 emission standard may have been fitted with an illegal software emissions device, Spiegel said.

"The KBA has requested a hearing on suspicion that the Audi V6TDI A6/A7 models have been fitted with an illegal defeat device," Spiegel cited a spokesman for Germany's Transport Ministry as saying.

Audi and Germany's Transport Ministry were not immediately available for comment.