France, July 29 -- The French carmaker will be the second referred to criminal court in France after Volkswagen over what has become known as the 'dieselgate' scandal.

The scandal erupted in September 2015 when German automaker Volkswagen admitted fitting millions of vehicles with software to make engines appear less polluting in regulatory tests than in real driving conditions.

It caused waves in the global car industry, ensnaring several other top carmakers and leading to legal action in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, France, South Korea and the United States.

The order sending the case to trial was signed on Friday and the decision communicated to the parties on Monday.

An investigating judge is still reviewing a...