The carmaker didn’t announce which models were affected or in which markets but according to reports, the fix applies to the Captur SUV and has come about in the wake of the discovery of excessive emissions in real-world driving conditions. However, Renault denied having indicated that a total of 700,000 vehicles would be affected by a software update, as reported by various publications.

Crucially, there is also no evidence that the carmaker has used a defeat device, as with VW. Last week saw Renault’s offices raided by a government-backed commission into emissions. Speaking at the time, French Energy Minister Segolene Royal said: “There is no fraud at Renault. Shareholders and employees should be reassured.”

The recall is believed to not be related to the investigation. In a statement released today (19 January) the carmaker said that its vehicles are not “equipped with fraudulent software or systems designed to bypass the emission control system” and that the recall relates to a known issue that was corrected on production vehicles from 4 September 2015.

The group also said that it has fully cooperated and will continue to fully cooperate with any investigations by the authorities.

Renault is already working on solutions to reduce its vehicle emissions, as announced in December under its €50m Emissions Plan.

The carmaker also emphasised its support for regulations to better reflect real-world use of cars.

In a statement, Renault said: “The regulations must evolve. It is quite normal to find differences between laboratory testing and the results obtained with on-road use. The NEDC homologation tests should evolve to reflect actual usage. Renault fully supports this evolution.”