Diesel engines. These models that turn their backs on diesel

From the Dacia Sandero to the Volvo XC40, including the Renault Captur or Nissan Qashqai, many models have given up on diesel since 2020.

Less and less prized by buyers, criticized by politicians, diesel had to comply with a very restrictive Euro 6 D-Full antipollution standard in 2021. The result? The DS 9, Dacia Sandero, Renault Captur, Volkswagen Polo or Volvo XC40 have decided to do without him.

The fall was worthy of a dive into the void without a parachute. Still largely in the majority less than ten years ago in France, diesel no longer represents, over the first nine months of 2021, only 23.7% of new car sales. In recent years, diesel has seen so many obstacles stand in its way that even the most resistant could end up feeling sympathy for it! There was of course the “dieselgate”, this major fraud that broke out in 2015 and which ultimately destroyed the image of heavy fuel more than that of Volkswagen. It is also this scandal which will further encourage politicians of all stripes to demonize “fuel oil”, by giving it less favorable Crit Air labels, by removing part of its tax benefits, or even by planning to drive it out of city centers in the short term. As a conclusion : “diesel won the battle of technology but lost the war in the political arena” dixit Gilles Le Borgne, head of R&D at Renault.

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An expensive Euro 6 D-Full standard to pass

But the major pitfall is the Euro 6 D-Full antipollution standard, mandatory since 1^erJanuary 2021. To be able to pass it, diesel engines have had to redouble their efforts and adopt ever more expensive systems. Renault mentions, for example, the addition of an additional catalyst, a second urea injector or a new high-pressure EGR cooling system. Changes which necessarily affect the price, thus increasing the additional cost compared to petrol versions while reducing the gap with hybrid variants. The Losange has therefore decided to make a decision, by giving up diesel from 2021 on its Captur and Scénic, and by launching its Arkana SUV coupe and the new Dacia Sandero without the slightest Blue dCi, at least in Europe. Manufacturers are also anticipating the future Euro 7 standard (around 2026) which will be fatal to this type of engine.

Epidemic in city dwellers and small SUVs

Seat Ibiza and Arona diesel stop — Seat Ibiza and Arona, same fight: in both cases, the TDI logo is now a thing of the past.

In city cars and small SUVs in the B segment, diesel is more and more like an exception. It is therefore no longer found on models of the Volkswagen group, since the Seat Ibiza and Arona, the VW Polo and T-Cross as well as the Skoda Kamiq have abandoned their 1.6 TDI this year, without looking for a replacement. The Twingo, Fiat 500 and other mini-sedans in the A segment had been in mourning a few years ago., which is difficult to deplore as this fuel seemed unsuitable for essentially urban use with low annual mileage.

Larger models also follow

DS 9 night blue headlights grille — A large French sedan without diesel? Unimaginable a few years ago, this choice was nevertheless made by the DS 9, which offers a petrol engine and three plug-in hybrid versions.

Renault Arkana RS Line and normal — Made in Korea on a Captur 2 basis, the Renault coupe SUV was launched in the first half of 2021 in gasoline and hybrid.

But even in larger vehicles, for which diesel still has arguments, the trend is clearly towards scarcity. Like the Arkana, the Nissan Qashqai does without the dCi label. Same story for the DS 9, which follows the movement initiated by the Volvo S60 by favoring the plug-in hybrid. A technology also adopted, with success, by the compact SUV XC40, which took the opportunity to eliminate its diesels. The brand was also one of the first to announce its desire to stop investing. As for Mazda, in 2020 it stopped diesel on three models at once, the compact 3, the 6 wagon and the CX-30 SUV.

A double-edged “de-dieselization”

Volvo XC40 diesel shutdown — At Volvo, sales of XC40 plug-in hybrid start strong, and a more accessible T4 version arrives. The Swedish therefore feels confident enough to abandon the diesel versions.

In short, the “de-dieselization” of the automobile is clearly accelerating … even if it is to be hoped that it does not generate too many perverse effects with it. This is indeed one of the reasons why CO emissions₂ averages have increased in recent years in Europe, since gasoline engines have been the big winners of this trend so far and have higher carbon dioxide emissions. As for plug-in hybrids, they are not suitable for all user profiles: those who do not have the reflex or the ability to plug them in are very far from reproducing the consumption figures obtained over a certification cycle for the less questionable.