It's A popular fuel among company car drivers and, thanks to technological innovations by a variety of automotive suppliers, today’s diesel cars are cleaner and more efficient than ever.

The increasing number of diesel cars fitted with advanced components, such as common-rail diesel and Start-Stop, have benefited from significantly reduced emissions and lower running costs.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) recent New Car CO2 Report, new diesel cars sold in the UK are 21% less polluting and 27% more economical than they were in 2003, meaning that British motorists are saving money.

The report says that, if diesel cars were only as fuel-efficient as they were 10 years ago, the average annual fuel bill for 12,000 miles of driving would be £1,690 rather than the £1,330 it is today.

In addition, modern less polluting diesel cars are reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions by more than 750,000 tonnes per year.