Outgoing BMW boss Harald Krüger appeared to take a thinly veiled parting shot at the Volkswagen Group at the end of his last quarterly conference as CEO.

Krüger, who in July 2019 announced he would step down as BMW Group chairman and CEO, was speaking in Munich.

“Although everyone has the same challenges, not every company is the same. The BMW Group continues to forge its own path. Think of the discussions around diesel; the BMW Group did not deceive its customers,” Krüger said, according to a transcription of his statement published on BMW’s media portal.

That last sentence was seemingly a reference to the VW Group’s diesel emissions scandal, which has had serious implications for the wider automotive industry, particularly in Europe. Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, of course, has just been charged with fraud over Ingolstadt-based brand's role in Dieselgate.

It’s also worth noting BMW itself was earlier in 2019 fined about €8,5-million in Germany for selling diesel vehicles fitted with software resulting in higher emissions. At the time, Krüger insisted it had nothing to do with "targeted manipulation of engine or emission control" (and the German prosecutors agreed).

Oliver Zipse will assume the role of chairman on 16 August 2019, succeeding Krüger.

Original article from Car