Alltogether Now
You are quite correct about the fact that most probably all the manufacturers are playing the same game. This is suggested by two factors, a) very muted or non-existent response from all of the others, b) how come all the emission figures of comparable cars are in the same set of ranges.
There's a third element; governments are in cahoots with these car makers. Clearly VW must have rubbed someone the wrong way in the USofA to have been picked as the first. Any bets that Toyota will be next? After all we need to booost the great American auto industry.