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European sales of diesel cars are set to pass those of petrol versions this year, industry experts predict.

According to the latest survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and eurocarprice.com, diesels accounted for 49 per cent of Europe's car sales in the last three months of 2005.

Diesel car prices continued to rise more quickly than their petrol counterparts, with prices up by 3.5 per cent for diesels compared to 3.2 per cent for petrol cars in the final quarter.

Chris Hibbs, UK Automotive leader at PwC, told Auto Industry: "Although diesel car sales will undoubtedly outstrip those of petrol in the coming year, the debate continues on the ultimate level of penetration they will achieve.

"They could potentially achieve 55 to 60 per cent of the total market but the extra costs of making diesels to meet tougher emissions requirements means buyers will still have to pay a premium over petrol versions."

Sales of diesel vehicles in the UK stood at 36 per cent of the total UK market for October to December.

The UK is one of the few areas in Europe where diesel is more expensive than petrol, which many experts believe is the main reason why the UK is well below the European average for diesel car sales.