Some diesel cars of German carmaker BMW produce dangerous gases that exceed EU anti-pollution limits by up to 11 times, German weekly Auto Bild reports.
The claim came as Germany's powerful car industry was reeling over revelations that auto giant Volkswagen had installed software in up to 11 million cars that could cheat pollution tests.
"Volkswagen is not the only carmaker whose cars produce high levels of nitrogen oxide," said the magazine, accusing certain vehicles of the BMW group of the same.
It quoted road tests carried out by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) which found that BMW's X3 xDrive equipped with 20d diesel motors produce gas emissions that are 11 times higher than European limits.
"All these data show that the problem is not specific to VW," Peter Mock from ICCT was quoted as saying.
The ICCT had been at the origin of the stunning revelations of cheating by Volkswagen, which went public last Friday when the United States announced a probe.
BMW later denied suggestions that it might have cheated in pollution tests on its diesel cars.
"The BMW group does not manipulate or rig any emissions tests. We observe the legal requirements in each country and adhere to all local testing requirements," the company said in a statement in response to the Auto Bild report.
"We are not familiar with the test mentioned by Auto Bild concerning the emissions of a BMW X3 during a road test. No specific details of the test have yet been provided and therefore we cannot explain these results.
"We will contact the ICCT and ask for clarification of the test they carried out."
AFP
