Volkswagen will buy back 20K more polluting diesel cars

Volkswagen Group has agreed to yet another compensation and buyback package to buyers of its polluting diesel-powered vehicles, this time involving owners of VW, Audi and Porsche cars and SUVs with six-cylinder engines.

Under the agreement announced Tuesday, the automaker will buy back another 20,000 polluting diesel vehicles with 3-liter, six-cylinder diesel engines in the U.S., fix about 63,000 vehicles and pay $225 million in environmental remediation.

The company agreed to the sweeping settlement with the U.S. government and California regulators, having already agreed this fall to a nearly $15 billion deal pertaining to almost half a million 2-liter diesel cars.

The latest accord covers bigger vehicles, including Audi and Porsche crossovers, that like their smaller cousins were fitted with software to cheat U.S. standards on emissions.

The settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board and Justice Department is expected to cost VW about $1 billion, said Cynthia Giles, EPA’s assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance.

But that figure does not include what U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said is likely to be additional “substantial compensation” for consumers. Breyer is set to receive updates on that aspect in a hearing Thursday.