CITROEN is looking to increase its share of solus and dual badge business and woo more user-choosers to its product range. It expects its new line-up of sophisticated diesel engines to lead the fight, Fleet NewsNet was told at the British International Motor Show.

The French manufacturer will become the first to launch the next generation of common rail diesel engines when the Xantia 2.0 HDi goes on sale in the UK next month with the 110bhp engine also finding its way into the Xsara early next year. The new engine made its public debut earlier this year with Citroen saying the new technology - which will also appear shortly in the Peugeot 406 - brings improved performance and driveability, enhanced refinement and quietness, a 30% improvement in fuel economy and a 22% cut in CO2 exhaust emissions.

Citroen says a Xantia 2.1 HDi is capable of covering almost 900 miles on a tank of fuel with up to 62.8mpg in out-of-town driving. The manufacturer also claims fleets can save at least £1,000 in fuel costs per car on a typical fleet lifecycle by switching to HDi technology. The new engine replaces the existing 110bhp 2.1-litre turbodiesel unit and next year a 2.0-litre 90bhp HDi unit will replace Citroen's tried and trusted 1.9-litre 90bhp unit.