Renault has become the latest car maker to cut a number of diesel models from its line-up as firms balance falling demand for the fuel and increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
This comes as figures reveal that the number of diesels on sale in the UK has nearly halved in the past five years.
Renault’s cull is so drastic that, by the end of this year, only one of its models – the Mégane hatchback/estate – will offer a diesel engine. The Kadjar SUV can no longer be ordered as a diesel, while such versions of the Clio supermini and Captur crossover won’t make it to 2021.
Earlier this month, Ford dropped diesel engines from the Fiesta range due to them taking less than 3% of sales, while even the fleet-friendly Mazda 6 will become petrol-only by the end of this year.
Data obtained by Autocar reveals that there were 493 diesel variants available to buy in the UK in November 2015. That includes all volume passenger cars, pick-up trucks and four-wheel-drive variants of the same engine but doesn’t include automatic variants.
That figure has fallen to 267 today (excluding variants due to be withdrawn in the coming weeks) and is continuing to fall.
A few brands, such as Alfa Romeo and Jaguar, have increased their range of diesel offerings during that period, but they’re in the overwhelming minority, as our table (below) shows.
Some of these drops aren’t surprising. Makers including Porsche, Toyota, Volvo and most Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brands have either ditched diesel entirely or intend to move away from it over the next couple of years. But even those that have previously stood by the fuel have shed variants, including BMW, Vauxhall and the majority of the Volkswagen Group brands.
