French carmaker Renault will recall more than 15,000 diesel Captur mini-SUV vehicles to make changes to their engines and bring them in line with emissions standards, Environment Minister Segolene Royal told RTL radio on 19 January. The vehicles have an engine processor fault that causes mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) levels to rise under certain conditions.

The minister, responsible for the environment and sustainable development, repeated that Renault was not alone in exceeding emissions levels, although she did not name any other carmakers.

"Renault has committed to recalling a certain number of vehicles, more than 15,000 vehicles, to check them and adjust them correctly so the filtration system works even when it is very hot or when it is below 17F (-8C), because that's when the filtration system no longer worked," Royal said.

She said the tests needed to be based on real driving conditions, whatever the outside temperature. "And I would also like say to be fair to Renault that there are other brands that exceed the norms, which I am not going to name. In any case the managers of these companies have accepted to come and give explanations before the commission. What is important is that the air pollution stops," she added.

Last week Renault said fraud investigators had inspected three of its sites to look into its vehicle emissions technology - news that wiped billions off its market value in an echo of the scandal engulfing German rival Volkswagen.

Royal's commission is currently testing 100 vehicles from various manufactures to establish if regulatory test results have been rigged.

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