For all of Volkswagen Group’s woes with its diesel emissions scandal last year it ended up the best-selling car maker in the world for the first time, displacing long-time rival Toyota. VW passenger car sales rose 2.8 per cent to just over 6 million, Audi grew by 3.8 per cent to 1.87 million and its Czech brand Skoda lifted by 6.8 per cent to 1.12 million. Porsche lifted as well by 5.6 per cent to 237,800. Given the adverse publicity created by the diesel scandal these sales figures are quite remarkable really and one wonders if the main loser in the diesel scandal was the diesel engine itself rather than the company. Quite clearly moving forward and with lower and tougher emission targets next year the diesel engine looks to have a limited life. Already they are vanishing from the smaller A segment cars and whilst diesel engines are more efficient than petrol their extra expense outstrips any savings in fuel.

Renault now predicts that the toughening of Euro 6 emission targets by 2020 will also see diesel engines disappear from the larger B-segment cars as well as C segment models. Withhigher testing standards planned It seems that everybody is now backtracking on diesel engine development. Pollution from the latest generation diesel engines has fallen dramatically however many scientists believe the smaller particulates they emit are so small they can lodge deep in the lungs and even pass into the bloodstream. I’m David Berthon

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