FORD has taken the decision to remove any diesel variants from the Fiesta range.
The Fiesta - which was previously available with two 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engines with either 84bhp or 118bhp - can now only be specified with petrol powertrains.
A spokesperson for Ford said that the diesel mix on Fiesta during 2020 has been "two to three per cent", showing that demand had steadily declined.
It comes as a new mild-hybrid variant is launched, integrating a 48-volt hybrid with an efficient 1.0-litre Ecoboost turbocharged engine. With 153bhp, the engine has already been used on the recent Puma.
Sales of diesel cars have continued to decline across the board as more efficient petrol, hybrid and electric versions come to the fore.
In fact, diesels made up just 18.4 per cent of sales in September 2020 - a considerable drop on the 50 per cent market share of just a few years ago.
The Fiesta is Northern Ireland's most popular new car so far this year, with 833 registrations by the end of September. It was also the best-seller in September, with 190 registered.
