TOYOTA is to extend its range of common rail diesel engines as company chiefs admit the manufacturer is playing 'catch-up' in the diesel market. As the diesel boom in the UK and Europe took off in the early 1990s, Toyota backed lean-burn petrol engines as the fuel-efficient alternative to diesel.

However, while developing a wide range of engine alternatives to the petrol powerplant - including hybrid technology and fuel cell options - a range of common rail diesel engines is being introduced. The 2.0-litre common rail diesel has been introduced in the UK in the Avensis and it will also appear in the Corolla, Previa and RAV4. In addition a 1.4-litre common rail diesel will be launched in the Yaris and a 2.4-litre unit in the Previa and other models in the near future. There will also be a 3.0-litre.

Toyota GB managing director Graeme Smith admitted: 'We are catching up with diesel technology. The popularity of diesel is declining in the UK, but with the new technology, diesel might win more of the market.'