The Volkswagen Tiguan and the Audi A5 will be the first vehicles onto which the Volkswagen Group will install standard particulate filters, starting next year. The filters are said to reduce emissions of fine soot particles by up to 90% and will eventually come with every TSI and TFSI produced by the Group.

“Following increases in efficiency and lower CO2 output, we are now bringing about a sustained reduction in the emission levels of our modern petrol engines by fitting particulate filters as standard,” says Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, Head of Group Research and Development.

Particulate filters are already common on diesel engines, but much less so on gasoline powered engines. Volkswagen predicts, though, that the number of Volkswagen vehicles equipped with gasoline particulate filters could exceed 7 million by 2022.

Diesel models, too, will get new emission reducing technology. “In the future, all models will be equipped with the latest and most efficient SCR catalytic converter technology,” says Dr Eichhorn.