A group of the world's biggest automakers notched a victory in a U.K. legal case accusing them of using devices to cheat emission-control systems.
The high court of England and Wales said Friday that it "rejected most of the principal allegations advanced against the manufacturers whose vehicles were examined at trial." The trial was brought by 1.6 million claimants in a suit against Ford, Stellantis's Peugeot-Citroen, France's Renault, Japan's Nissan and Germany's Mercedes-Benz.
The claimants alleged that certain diesel vehicles manufactured by the defendants were equipped with prohibited devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission-control systems outside regulatory testing, resulting in higher emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides during normal vehicle use.
Renault and Mercedes-Benz said they welcomed the decision. "[It] is fully consistent with its long-held position that its vehicles have been and are designed, engineered, and manufactured in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements," Renault said.
Mercedes-Benz meanwhile said it may appeal one part of the ruling that found functionality in one sample vehicle was noncompliant before a relevant software update.
"We respect the court's decision concerning this functionality but disagree with this finding. In our view, the emission-control software functionalities are justifiable on both technical and legal grounds," the company said.
The other defendants didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.
A further trial will be in October to "determine the consequences of any actionable breaches and any issues relating to damages or other remedies," the court said.
Write to Joshua Kirby at joshua.kirby@wsj.com; @joshualeokirby
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 10, 2026 11:44 ET (15:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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