Toyota looks for small car sales growth

He said that as they primarily attract retail buyers this would help the sales of petrol engined models, although diesel would remain important to fleets, thanks to benefit in kind taxation rules.

“CO2 emissions are good on small, efficient petrol engines, and fuel economy is relatively close to diesel,” he said. Williams suggested that with an average annual private mileage of 12,000, it could take up to a decade for the cost advantages of running a small diesel to make themselves felt. “People are starting to do the maths,” said Williams. “Beyond paying for a car, we’re hearing more and more questions about long term running costs, VED, how much does it cost fill up a car, how far does it run?” Williams suggested that the prevailing economic conditions weren’t necessarily making people hang onto their cars for longer but were encouraging them to look at buying more tax and fuel-efficient models.