Mitsubishi, which admitted last month that it had manipulated fuel
economy for four minivehicle models, said on Wednesday its President
Tetsuro Aikawa will step down to take responsibility for the
scandal.
The admission prompted the automaker to agree to sell a one-third
controlling stake to Nissan Motor Co <7201.T>, and Japan's transport
ministry to ask domestic automakers to re-submit fuel economy
readings on all their vehicles by Wednesday.
Suzuki, Japan's No.4 automaker, said 2.1 million vehicles were
affected but Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki told reporters that his
workers did not intentionally use improper data.
"The company apologizes for the fact that we did not follow rules
set by the country," he said.
Shares in Suzuki ended down 9.4 percent after the company said it
had used improper tests but before it briefed media. At one point
they fell as much as 15 percent to their lowest level since November
2013.
Suzuki specializes in minivehicles, which have engines of up to
660cc and get preferential tax treatment under Japanese law. It
commands roughly one-third of the country's minivehicle market.
The automaker said it plans to continue sales of its cars given that
new readings had not deviated much from those previously submitted,
adding that it did not see much impact on earnings for now.
The impact has been much greater on Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi said on Wednesday that "shortening of time spent on R&D,
and expectations that high fuel-efficiency be achieved" led to data
manipulation.
"There was no direct order from top management in this incident,"
Mitsubishi Chief Executive Osamu Masuko told reporters.
"But top management did not have a firm grasp on the proceedings at
the R&D department," he said, adding there were several chances to
stop its workers from using improper testing methods but that they
did not stop.
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Emissions and fuel economy have come under increasing scrutiny from regulators
globally after Germany's Volkswagen admitted last year that it used "defeat
devices" on 11 million diesel vehicles to lower emissions during tests.
France, which ordered tests on a random sample of about 100 diesel cars last
year, said last month some vehicles made by Renault, Fiat, Mercedes, VW, PSA
Peugeot Citroen, Nissan, Opel and Ford failed to comply fully with its emissions
regulations.
South Korea, which has tested 20 diesel vehicle models, said on Monday it would
punish Nissan with a fine and a recall of its Qashqai diesel sport utility
vehicles, accusing it of manipulating emissions. Nissan denied the allegation.
In the United States, the Justice Department is investigating Daimler, the maker
of Mercedes vehicles, over emissions testing.
(Reporting by Minami Funakoshi, Maki Shiraki, and Chris Gallagher; Additional
reporting by Joshua Hunt; Writing by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and
Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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