A Venice court has ordered Volkswagen to compensate over 63,000 Italian customers over the "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal in a settlement worth more than 200 million euros, a consumers' association announced.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the Altroconsumo group said it had secured a "historic" victory in its class action lawsuit against the German car giant.
The court ruled that "3,300 euros (plus interest) will go to each of the more than 63,000 consumers who joined our class action" after buying vehicle models involved in the scandal, it said.
Revelations in 2015 that Volkswagen had installed devices in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide to falsify pollution tests plunged the company into a deep crisis.
The scandal has so far cost the German car giant more than 32 billion euros in fines, legal costs and compensation and has since ensnared many more of Europe's top automakers.
"David has beaten Goliath and has demonstrated once again that unity really is strength," said Federico Cavallo, head of external relations at Altroconsumo.
"After the American, German and Spanish consumers, and after five years of waiting, the time has finally come for the Italians too to obtain justice," he added.
There was no immediate comment from Volkswagen.
(Published 08 July 2021, 10:39 IST)
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