The Volkswagen Golf diesel is dead – I’m sad but not shocked

The Volkswagen Golf diesel has been dropped from the UK configurator after being offered since 1976. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for diesel engines – the clattering sound takes me back to family holidays in my parent’s Ford Mondeo and days spent in my Dad’s Transit van – but when you look at the figures it’s no surprise that manufacturers are turning their back on this fuel.

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Diesel demand is dying off

In 2016, diesel cars made up almost half (47.7%) of all new car sales according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That’s been slowly dropping as the years go by, and so far in 2026 they make up a measly 4.6% of sales.

Diesel has lost a lot of its market share to electric cars, which have advanced massively over the last decade and now suit a lot more people. Hybrid cars have also become more popular, and a lot of the time they work out cheaper to run than diesel cars anyway.

Diesel is too expensive

The main customers for diesel cars are those who cover a lot of motorway miles, because they’re typically more fuel efficient on long runs than petrol-powered models. This might be the case, but the rising price of diesel means they’re not the money-saving hack they once were.

Let’s say you cover 20,000 miles per year. A Volkswagen Golf with the 150hp diesel engine will return 61mpg according to official tests, meaning you’ll go through 1,490 litres of fuel per year.

A mild hybrid petrol Golf will do 55mpg, meaning you’ll use 1,653 litres of fuel. That seems like a lot more, but you may be shocked when you look at the total cost.

The average price of petrol at the time of writing is 151.1 pence per litre, meaning your 20,000 miles will cost £2,498 in the mild hybrid Golf. Diesel is currently sitting at 166.3 pence per litre, so your fuel bill will be £2,478 per year. There’s only £20 in it, and the diesel Golf is almost £2,000 more expensive to buy than the petrol.

Other manufacturers following suit

It’s not just the Volkswagen Golf which has ditched diesel. The SEAT Leon is no longer available with a diesel engine, and BMW has ditched the fuel in the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Series. Audi is still soldiering on with diesel though, with all of its models (bar the fully electric ones) available with an oil-burner.

From a nostalgic point of view, I’ll miss diesel engines. From a practicality perspective though, they make less sense these days. They tend to emit more harmful nitrous oxide than petrol engines, which is harmful to local air quality, and to get around this they have a lot of complex emissions systems which are prone to expensive failures.

Diesel still has its place in vans, trucks and other commercial vehicles, plus you’ll want a powerful diesel engine if you’re planning to tow heavy trailers or caravans, but for the majority of people petrol, hybrid or electric power is a better bet.

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