The owner of carmakers Vauxhall, Citroen and Peugeot says that it’s not shifting back to diesel-engined cars despite press reports saying that it was pulling back on electric. 

News agency Reuters first reported the news, and British newspapers have jumped on the development, saying that the Stellantis Group, which owns those carmakers as well as the likes of Alfa Romeo, DS, Jeep and Fiat, was quietly retreating from sales of electric vehicles. 

It's reported that the company is reintroducing diesel engines on seven models, including the Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 308 and DS No.4, as well as the range of passenger MPVs based on the Citroen Berlingo (some of the few EVs on sale with seven seats). A diesel-engined Fiat Qubo was revealed at the Brussels motor show, but that car isn't currently coming to the UK. 

Currently just the DS model is set for a change in the UK with the introduction of a new diesel engine option – the Citroen Berlingo was originally launched in 2022 as an electric only model, but the company introduced a range of petrol and diesel options in 2025 following sluggish sales. 

The company told Electrifying that it was merely using its flexible engineering platforms to respond to changing demands, with diesel engines being offered with certain cars. 

A Stellantis statement reads: “Stellantis remains fully committed to electrification, with about 30 new products launched between 2025 and 2026 – the vast majority with battery electric and hybrid offers. Today we have over 50 electric vehicles on sale in the UK.

 “At the same time, Stellantis is focused on offering freedom of choice to our customers. Based on that, the company also offers some diesel engines in its product portfolio.  For instance, in response to sustained customer demand, we have decided to reintroduce it on some models such as the DS No.4.”

The company also sought to clarify that it had no plans to reintroduce a diesel engine on the Vauxhall Astra and that the engine option being made available in the DS No.4 (above) represents a tiny fraction of overall sales, with the diesel motor sitting alongside hybrid, PHEV and fully electric options. 

​DS sold just over 1,000 cars in the UK in 2025, posting a 12% decline over 2024’s figures, while Vauxhall was up around 4% with just under 82,000 cars sold in the year. Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall are all struggling to maintain electric sales according to figures from data firm New Automotive, with numbers not matching their overall market share. 

The Stellantis Group’s European boss was quoted as complaining in January that zero emission vehicle sales targets were harmful to carmakers, saying that there isn’t a ‘natural demand’ for EVs in the European markets. When we spoke to Alfa Romeo at the Brussels motor show in January, the company's product manager said he was excited about the challenge of creating EVs that drivers could love. 

This electric Vauxhall Astra is not a diesel... for now