Emissions scandal won't cut VW from Wheels

Australia's leading motoring magazine will not rush to ban Volkswagen models from its prestigious car-of-the-year award in the wake of the emissions cover-up.

Editor Glenn Butler says Wheels is closely monitoring developments in the scandal - which has forced VW to recall millions of cars - but decisions by some motoring awards to scratch all VW models from contention is "totally out of order".

"The scandal doesn't extend to all models and, while they may be lagging, current Australian emissions standards are different to those being called into question," he said.

In Wheels' 2016 award the VW Passat and the Q5 from Audi, which also has cars implicated in the scandal, are among 43 vehicles in contention.