Swiss temporary ban registering some VW diesel models

(AFP) Switzerland said Friday it was imposing temporary ban on registering several categories of Volkswagen group diesel vehicles.

The ban, which comes into effect on Monday, affects only first registration of new vehicles with diesel engines that Volkwagen has acknowledged were fitted with software that only turned on emissions controls when vehicles were being tested.

Switzerland estimates 130,000 cars are already on its roads fitted with Volkswagen's cheat software, which has unleashed a scandal set to cost the company billions.

Those vehicles are free to remain on the road and can be sold second hand.

A spokesman for the Swiss Federal Roads Office stated it wanted to clarify which vehicles were affected by the impending ban "in the face of owner and second car dealer worries."

The measure concerns Volkswagen's stable of marques, including Audi, Seat and Skoda -- built between 2009 and 2014 in the Euro5 emissions category and fitted with 1.2, 1.6 and two-litre diesel engines.

Other diesel emission categories are not affected.

The Office said it would make a decision on when to lift the ban "when fresh pieces of information are available".

Swiss authories had said on September 28 they were suspending sales of new Volkswagen diesel engine models identified as potentially having been fitted with the emissions cheat devices which have caused a huge storm.

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