Petrol is the new diesel in small cars like Peugeot 208

FOR SEVERAL years now I have been banging on (are you listening at the back) about the merits of small capacity petrol engines, believing them to be much more capable of saving the planet than their diesel counterparts which motor companies have spent so much money marketing in recent years.

Of course the recent Volkswagen dieselgate scandal — which, by the way, is only just beginning to get into its stride — blew diesel power out of the water for many people who now find themselves completely unable to trust diesel anymore and VW diesels in particular.

There is, of course, a lot of over-reaction going on here, but in truth the writing has been on the wall for diesel as the be-all answer to economy and environmental friendliness.