German auto giant Volkswagen said Monday it is halting sales of four-cylinder VW and Audi brand diesel cars in the United States in the wake of a scandal over manipulated emissions data.

"I can confirm that sales have been halted," a company spokesman told AFP, responding to media reports. The models accounted for 23 percent of VW brand cars in the United States in August. Between January and August, the group sold nearly 240,000 cars in the US.