(RTTNews) - Renault SA (RNO.PA, RNLSY), a French automaker, on Tuesday said it will face a criminal trial in France on aggravated fraud charges over allegations that some of its older-generation diesel vehicles were equipped with devices designed to bypass emissions regulations and cheat clean air laws.

The first procedural hearing is scheduled for April 2027.

The company said it firmly disputes the allegations and will defend its innocence before the criminal court.

The company said its vehicles comply with French and European regulations and that their emission control systems balance emissions reduction with driver safety.

The company also said the court order acknowledges that its vehicles were not equipped with fraudulent devices specifically designed to detect official emissions testing cycles.

The company also cited a recent ruling by the London High Court that dismissed similar claims against Renault and several other automakers.

The case is part of a judicial investigation opened in Paris in January 2017 into diesel vehicles sold between 2009 and 2017.

The company is the second automaker in France to be referred for a criminal trial after Volkswagen in connection with the Dieselgate emissions scandal.

Renault SA is currently trading 1.38% higher at EUR 26.50 on the Paris Stock Exchange.

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