MOTORIST in Maidstone helped make 2002 the year of the diesel.

Refined diesel power was the hottest choice for new buyers, with the Mercedes-Benz S320 CDI luxury saloon and ML270 CDI off-roader in-particular continuing their runaway success stories.

Still the only luxury diesel saloon available in the UK, the S320 CDI reinforced its position as the most popular luxury model after a remarkable 16.6 per cent increase in registrations in the last 12 months.

The newly-revised model range, featuring an even more efficient V6 common rail diesel engine, giving better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions than before, won a host of awards. Auto Express, What Car?, Fleet News and Fleet Excellence all named it their Best Luxury Car.

Autocar magazine even drove a long wheelbase S320 CDI from Land’s End to John O’Groat’s on just one tank of fuel and still had two-thirds of a gallon of diesel to spare at the end.

Paul Clifton, sales manager at Mercedes-Benz of Maidstone, said: “Our customers have clearly seen that owning a Mercedes-Benz is more cost-effective than some think. The luxurious nature of the cars is balanced by efficient diesel engines.”