Volkswagen has confirmed that a strand of its diesel engine range does not contain the infamous defeat device that sparked the emissions scandal.

Yesterday, reports suggested the company’s Euro 5 EA288 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre engine sizes had been fitted with software designed to cheat emissions tests.

The EA288 engine shares many parts with the EA189 engine which has been at the heart of the storm.

However, Volkswagen has confirmed that after investigations, the EA288 engine family does not contain the software.