FRANKFURT: New car registrations in Germany, a key measure of demand in one of the most important sectors of Europe’s top economy, rose strongly in November, data showed Tuesday, appearing to shrug off the Volkswagen pollution-cheating scandal.

A total of 272,000 new cars were registered last month, an increase of nine percent compared with the figure for the same month last year, according to data compiled by the automakers’ federation VDA.

Taking the 11 months to November, new car registrations advanced by five percent to 2.959 million vehicles, the statement continued.

And looking ahead to the whole of 2015, VDA is pencilling in sales of 3.17 million vehicles, or an increase of four percent over the figure for 2014.

For 2016, VDA is forecasting a further modest rise to 3.2 million units “if the framework conditions do not deteriorate,” said federation chief Matthias Wissmann.

Turning to the massive pollution-cheating scandal at German auto giant Volkswagen, which has to fitting 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide with sophisticated software that can skew emission test results, Wissmann said the affair had undermined confidence in the automobile sector.

Nevertheless, it should not have too many repercussions on sales, nor would it discredit diesel technology in general, Wissmann insisted.

“Around 50” employees of German auto giant Volkswagen have come forward to testify in the group’s internal probe into a massive pollution-cheating scandal, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

“Up until yesterday’s deadline, around 50 employees have taken part in the internal witness program,” the spokesman said.

VW has launched an internal investigation into its biggest-ever scandal after the carmaker was forced to admit in September that it had installed software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide enabling them to cheat in emission tests.

Employees had been given until Monday to come forward to testify without fear of repercussions on the part of VW.

The so-called defeat devices turn on pollution controls when the car is undergoing testing, and off when it is back on the road, allowing it to spew out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide.

The revelations have sparked investigations in several countries but they turned out to be only the beginning as Volkswagen also admitted that it also understated carbon emissions, for 800,000 vehicles.

The company has said the revelations have had an impact on car sales, with demand for the group’s 12 brands — including Audi, Skoda and Porsche — falling.

In India, Volkswagen will recall 3.23 lakh vehicles in India after a government-ordered probe found the company using diesel engines equipped with a defeat device, which help cheat emission tests.

“The company will voluntarily recall 3.23 lakh vehicles, which have been fitted with the E189 engines that are equipped with defeat device,” a senior Indian government official said.

A meeting was held between the company executives and officials of the Department of Heavy Industries after the submission of report by apex automotive testing agency Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

The ARAI found that diesel cars manufactured in India by Volkswagen having E189 engine were fitted with the “defeat device”, which may lead to excess nitrogen oxide emission levels in on-road vehicles.