Renault removes diesel engines from all models except Megane

Renault will remove the majority of its diesel engine options in the UK by the end of the year, leaving only the Mégane available to order with diesel power.

As of this week the Kadjar SUV is no longer offered with the 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel. The sole engine option is now a turbocharged 1.3-litre petrol with 138bhp.

Later in the year, diesel versions of the Captur crossover and Clio supermini will meet the same fate, although both of those cars now offer petrol-electric hybrid powertrains.

This means the Mégane family hatchback and estate will be Renault's only diesel offerings for UK customers. The engine itself has been overhauled to meet Euro 6d and RDE2 regulations, which substantially reduce the amount of particulate and NOx emissions allowed.

A number of manufacturers have been cutting diesel engine variants from their line-ups across Europe in the past few years, and that has continued during 2020 as the fuel has dropped to just over 20% of the UK market to date.

Just last week, Ford announced that it was dropping diesel versions of the Fiesta, while the Mazda 6 will also be moving to petrol power-only.