Before the Autumn statement tomorrow, WhatCar? has revealed that diesel vehicles have on average a 25.6 per cent discount advantage over petrol vehicles currently on sale.
Announced the day before the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement – which is likely to reveal harsher restrictions on diesel vehicles – it actually shows that you can get better deals on diesel-powered options.
The average saving on a diesel cars i £2,716, with many sectors also showing better discounts on diesel vehicles, such as the volume sector (34%) and the SUV segment (28%).
Through its marketplace discount calculations, WhatCar? found that the Volkswagen Jetta GT with a 2.0-litre diesel unit scored the best discount of 25.2 per cent over its petrol counterpart, with two other VW models coming in second and third in the table – the Golf SV and Passat S.
Consumer editor at the motoring publication Claire Evans said: “The dramatic rise in discounts is a direct response to a slump in demand caused by the Government's demonisation of diesels and a lack of understanding from consumers of the new cleaner ‘Euro 6’ diesels now available. It’s a perfect storm.”
Diesel vehicles sales fell by 29.9 per cent in October compared to the same point last year, which shows some people may be confused with the issues with Euro 6 diesel vehicles.
Evans added: “Despite recent headlines, diesel cars still have much to offer, especially for drivers doing high annual mileage or a lot of motorway driving. They deliver better low-end power and more torque than petrol equivalents, so are much better suited to tasks such as towing, too.”
