Nissan has admitted to manipulation in emission testings at its Japanese factories, the first major non-Western brand to do so.

The company said it had uncovered malpractice in its manufacturing centres in Japan, with reports “based on altered measurement values”. It did not specify how many cars were affected, nor whether the issue extended beyond Japan.

The emissions cheating scandal has affected carmakers worldwide since 2015, but had not involved Asian car manufacturers prior to Nissan’s admission.

The dieselgate saga started when Volkswagen vehicles were revealed to be equipped with software that produced more favourable results in lab testing environments.

The fallout on the company was heavy, with two of its executives being sentenced to jail terms in the US and former chief executive Winterkorn indicted by American prosecutors. (As a German citizen, Winterkorn is unlikely to face extradition to the US).

Other divisions of the Volkswagen group also fell foul of authorities: Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler was arrested in Germany last month, with prosecutors citing a risk of flight or evidence tampering.

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Rival carmakers got dragged into the scandal as well. BMW’s offices in Munich were raided by German police in March, while Fiat Chrysler has been embroiled in a legal battle with the US government since last year, and has been in settlement talks since April.