A new, more efficient 1.6-litre diesel will be launched by Vauxhall in 2013, promising a 10% improvement in fuel economy compared with larger engines.

The 1.6 CDTi engine will replace the 1.7 CDTi and lower power versions of the 2.0 CDTi. It will be the first Vauxhall diesel engine to comply with Euro 6 emissions rules and will be available in a variety of power outputs across several car lines.

Vauxhall targeted class-leading NVH (noise, vibratioin and harshness) levels,high power/torque density and low fuel consumption and 136bhp with 236lb-ft of torque has been achieved while fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 10% compared with similarly powerful 2.0-litre diesels.

"The comprehensive renewal of our powertrain portfolio continues at full throttle," said Dr Thomas Sedran, deputy chairman of the Opel/Vauxhall management board.

"Our new 1.6-litre diesel will set benchmarks for refinement, performance and environmental compatibility. By the end of next year we will have launched three all-new generations of petrol and diesel engines, as part of our roll-out of 23 new models and 13 new powertrains by 2016."