The Australian arm of Volkswagen paid a large dividend of $12.3 million to its parent in   March this year after profits jumped 72 per cent, but its 100-plus car dealers remain in the dark about how many of the 50,000 diesel models sold here since 2009 may be impacted by the emissions scandal. 
The payout represented almost all of its VW Australia's annual profits from a business which generated revenue of $1.72 billion in calendar 2014, and was more than four times the size of the dividend paid by the Australian arm to the German parent 12 months earlier, accounts filed with the corporate regulator show.
It comes as the body which oversees the interest of 7 million motorists, the Australian Automobile Association, called on the company to urgently clear up the uncertainty surrounding diesel models sold in Australia and for tougher regulations to be put in place to prevent a repeat of the situation.
AAA chief executive Michael Bradley said the United States had specific emission regulation standards that prohibit the use of "defeat" devices which were tougher than a set of United Nations standards that apply in Australia.
"This may be an appropriate time for the government to review the regulations used in the Australian market are sufficient to ensure such an event could not occur here," he said on Monday.
The AAA is the umbrella body for state-based road motorists organisations such as the RACV in Victoria, the NRMA in NSW and the RAA in South Australia. Mr Bradley says the car company needs to act quickly.
"It would be very concerning if a major manufacturer was found to be misleading the Australian public in such a way," he said.
VW and its sister brands of Audi and Skoda have a dealer network of more than 100 outlets around Australia, but they are still waiting on fresh information from corporate offices in Sydney and in Germany about the Australian impact of the emissions-rigging scandal first revealed on   September 18 by US authorities.
VW in Germany says 11 million cars are impacted globally. Industry players estimate that up to 50,000 diesel models led by the VW Golf have been sold since 2009 in Australia. Other VW models potentially impacted include the Tiguan and Passat, but VW Australia won't say. A spokesman for VW Australia said on Monday the Australian unit was "still awaiting details with regard to our market on specifically which models may be affected".
General manager of Austral Volkswagen in the Brisbane suburb of Newstead, Alex Boost, said the diesel models are popular. "It's in the mix," he said, referring to the proportion of buyers who seriously consider a diesel model over petrol.
He says the dealership isn't able to shed any further light on the Australian impact. "We're not sure," he said. He's waiting for an update too.
The financial accounts lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for VW Group Australia show a final dividend of $12.3 million was paid on   March 26 to the parent company. Total profit for calendar 2014 was $12.33 million, up from $7.18 million in 2013. This compared with a profit of $12.3 million in 2012.