SAAB has slashed the price of its 9-3 2.2TiD by £1,650 in a move that means all turbodiesels cost £800 less than their petrol counterparts. The move makes Saab one of the few makers not to charge a premium for its oil-burners and follows Peugeot's move to gradually reduce price differentials between common rail diesels and petrol variants.

On-the-road prices for the three-trim 9-3 turbodiesel range start at £16,495. A spokesman for the company said the 9% price cut had been implemented in a bid to boost sales, currently standing at 750 a year, and to broaden the 9-3's fleet appeal. Saab is understood to be investigating using a General Motors 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine for the 9-5 range next year.