Audi is offering a free software upgrade for 850,000 diesel cars in order to improve emissions.

The German auto maker said the upgrade would “improve emissions behavior in real driving conditions further beyond existing legal requirements”.

Audi added it was convinced the program would counteract possible bans on diesel cars.

Image source Wikimedia

In recent days, rivals Mercedes and Daimler issued recalls involving three million vehicles.

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The Audi recall affects cars fitted with six- and eight-cylinder diesel motors meeting the Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions criteria, including some models made by parent company Volkswagen and sister company Porsche.

The upgrade is available for Audi cars with affected engines in Europe and other markets outside North America.

The Reuters news agency reported that German car industry officials and politicians had agreed to improve diesel vehicles’ emissions through software updates in order to avoid diesel bans in cities.