Dynamic Diesels
120 years ago, Rudolf Diesel created something that would become something we call “alternative.” In several parts of the world, diesel fueled cars are the norm; here this alternative fuel is just starting to regain traction.
Why is diesel coming back in this country? The ten states that follow the California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards now accept “clean diesels” that meet their criteria. It wasn’t long before they were being sold across the country.
There are plenty of advantages to diesel engines compared to their gas-powered counterparts. Certainly, fuel economy is a huge factor as fewer parts are used to control the air/fuel mix – no spark plugs, for example. Fuel is sipped to extraordinary results. Some vehicles can boast 30-40MPG, while their regular fueled counterparts could only muster around 20-30MPG.
For emissions control, manufacturers now add an additive into the exhaust to clean the air coming out of the engine. This was designed to meet the CARB standards. You now have diesels that run cleaner than its gasoline counterparts.
The diesel-fueled vehicles listed focus on passenger vehicles crossovers and SUVs. Pickup trucks from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors offer these engines on their heavy-duty pickups and large vans. It is worth noting that Ram will add a diesel to their lighter 1500 pickups for 2014.
Who is selling a diesel in a passenger vehicle these days?
AUDI: For 2014, Audi cemented their commitment to the TDI diesel in the U.S.A. by expanding their offerings to more models. The A6 sedan, the A7 hatchback and Q5 crossover now joins a lineup with the A8 sedan, and the Q7 crossover. All five vehicles share a 3.0 liter V6 turbocharged diesel with 240 horsepower and 428 pounds-feet of torque. If you want proof of their solidity, just watch one race in their R18 prototype during FIA’s World Endurance Challenge
see listings | read reviews – A6 | A7 | Q5 | A8 | Q7
BMW: The Bavarians shuffled their diesel fueled vehicle lineup for 2014 to include American passenger cars. The 3-Series offers a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder in their 328d, while the 535d and X5 xDrive35d uses a 3.0litre turbocharged six-cylinders
see listings | read review
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**CHEVROLET: Aside from its heavy-duty pickups and full-sized vans, the Cruze compact sedan gets a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel as a new option. The new engine offers 151 horsepower with 264 pound-feet of torque, while claiming 46 MPG on the highway. The Cruze Clean Diesel only comes with an automatic transmission.
see listings | read review
JEEP: For years, Chrysler’s partner Fiat had been providing the world with various different diesel engines. The 2014 Grand Cherokee becomes the first diesel-powered vehicle in Chrysler’s U.S.A. lineup. The 3.0litre VM turbocharged diesel V6 has 240 horsepower with 420 pound-feet of torque. Jeep claims the new diesel will not only return 30 MPG on the highway, it would tow up to 7,300 pounds. The EcoDiesel might show up on other Jeep or other Chrysler vehicles in the near term.
see listings | read review
MAZDA: The wait is almost over. The Mazda6 will finally receive the promised Skyactiv-D engine to its lineup. Final details have not been published on the turbocharged four-cylinder that have been winning in Grand Am’s GX class.
see listings | read review
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**MERCEDES-BENZ: For decades, you could always count on Mercedes to offer a diesel-fueled model. Currently, the 2013 S-Class sedan, the GLK-Class, M-Class and GL-Class crossover/SUVs offer diesels. The S-, M-, and GL-Class models offer the BlueTec 3.0 liter V6 turbocharged engine, while the GLK has the new 2.1 liter twin-turbocharged four-cylinder BlueTec motor.
see listings | read reviews S -Class | M-Class | GL-Class | GLK-Class
PORSCHE: Some might say that it runs counter to the essence of the brand, but Porsche offers a 3.0 liter turbocharged V6 in the Cayenne Diesel SUV, good for 240HP and a claimed 29 MPG on the highway.
see listings | read review
VOLKSWAGEN: The diesel engine has been the cornerstone of VW’s offerings in the U.S.A. The 1.9 liter turbocharged TDI four-cylinder is available on the Passat sedan, Beetle coupe and convertible, the Jetta sedan and SportWagen and the Golf hatchback. The Touareg SUV is available in a 3.0litre turbocharged V6. Talk of a new four-cylinder TDI should become reality by the 2015 model year – in time for the seventh generation Golf.
see listings | read reviews – Passat | Beetle | Jetta | Golf | Toureg
