Quick Edit | Engine trouble

Are diesel cars more problem-prone than those fuelled by petrol? That’s what a recent JD Power survey seems to suggest. This could stem from a misunderstanding about the nature of diesel engines and how they differ from petrol mills. While diesel technology has come a long way since Matador engines used to be shoe-horned into an Ambassador, the engines still need to be treated differently. Drivers used to slaloming rapidly through traffic could find their progress isn’t as rapid as it was in their last petrol-driven vehicle.

Looked at from another angle, it’s all down to the skewed pricing of the two fuels—which goes to the heart of the distorted market for cars in this country and has led to the proportion of diesel-driven cars surging. Then again, with lower crude prices leading to cheaper petrol, this situation could change and, perhaps, car problems will decline.