Suzuki drops diesel from UK line-up
Japanese manufacturer confirms its sole diesel engine will cease production for the UK, owing to lower demand for black-pump cars
Suzuki has become the latest manufacturer in the UK to drop diesel power from its line-up, following a drop in sales for cars powered by the fuel.
The Japanese manufacturer confirmed today that its sole diesel engine on offer in the UK would no longer be produced for British shores, blaming a reduced demand for black-pump cars.
Existing stock of its diesel vehicles will remain on sale, and the firm has said it will review the possibility of bringing diesel back to the market. It will, however, continue to be sold in the Republic of Ireland.
In a statement, the firm said: “Due to very low demand for diesel engine models in the UK Suzuki range (less than three per cent of total UK range sales), the DDiS derivatives of Vitara and S-Cross for UK only have temporarily ceased production.
“This is due to much higher demand for the Boosterjet petrol models and the real-world fuel consumption that they attain. Diesel engine models will be available from existing stock only. However, these models will remain on sale in the Republic of Ireland where demand is much stronger. Suzuki GB will review the situation again in the future.”
Demand for diesel in the UK has dropped significantly in recent months, with March seeing a 37.2 per cent drop in registrations of cars powered by the fuel compared with the same period for 2017 – and year-to-date figures down 33.3 per cent.
The government’s increased tax on diesel cars not conforming to Euro 6d emission regulations was also introduced this month. As none currently on the market meets the criteria, all new diesel cars have been affected.
