More petrol engines for Skoda and Volkswagen

The recent renaissance of petrol power at the expense of diesel continues with additional petrol engines being announced for Skoda and Volkswagen models.

The move follows the continued decline in diesel sales, down 15% in June, 20% in May and 27% in April. The direct beneficiary of this swing away from diesel has been petrol cars, hence the move from Volkswagen and Skoda to beef up their petrol offerings.

For its fleet customers, Skoda is introducing three additional petrol engines to its Octavia estate, while the brand’s Superb gets a 1.4-litre 150hp unit with either automatic or manual gearbox.

Skoda’s Head of Fleet, Henry Williams, said that the introduction of the new engines was “due to increasing demand from customers”.

Meanwhile, following its continued Dieselgate difficulties, Volkswagen has expanded the powertrains available for its Passat range with four new petrol units. The brand has also expanded the range of petrol engines for its Tiguan SUV with seven new units.