Filed under: Diesel
Diesel invasion coming to the US in 2010
Good news for diesel lovers in the US: In around 2010, GM, Toyota, Honda, BMW, the Chrysler group, Nissan, Audi and others will offer diesel engines in cars and SUVs. The exception will be Ford, which considers that they're too expensive for passenger vehicles.Actually, Siemens Automotive (one of the largest diesel injection suppliers) forecasts diesels sales of about 867,000 units in 2012, up from an estimated of 653,000 this year. In contrast, hybrids' growth forecast will be higher, with forecasts of 510,000 units for 2012 and 193,000 this year.
GM was the last to announce such motors in the Saturn Aura and Cadillac CTS. GM has an extensive range of diesel offerings in Europe, although the two announced powerplants will differ from the European versions. One is a 4.5-liter V8 for the Hummer H2 and the Chevy Silverado/ GMC Sierra pickups. The other is a 2.9-liter V6 made by VM Motori S.p.A., an Italian engine maker (they already powered some Jeeps during the 90s for the European market). GM wants to make clear that the new diesels aren't gasoline-converted powertrains, which ruined diesel reputation in the early 80s with the troublesome Oldsmobile V8.
Current diesel offerings for the US market this year are some Mercedes cars and Jeep Grand Cherokees, beside heavy-duty pick-ups. Next year, Volkswagen will introduce 50-state TDIs in all the range.
Related:
[Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
A.Brien 10:28PM (7/16/2007)
If army come home and rent the vehicule gas paid it
should be the end of war on petrol and diamonds.
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1985 Gripen 10:55PM (7/16/2007)
I can't read the source article as I don't have a subscription to the Automotive News, so I have to ask: are you sure that's what they're reporting?
As for GM, I don't remember them claiming they'll be selling any diesel passenger cars in the future. They are indeed putting that 2.9-liter V6 diesel engine into the 2008 Cadillac CTS, but that's only intended for the European market where a diesel offering is requisite as over 50% of new cars sold in Europe are diesel-powered.
In order to sell diesel cars in the U.S. the NOx emissions would have to be lowered enough to comply with strict new federal emissions requirements. The German manufacturers who plan to start selling diesels in the U.S. next year plan to do this by using the BLUETEC technology licensed from Mercedes-Benz, but as far as I know GM has no urea-injection and/or NOx filtering system that would make their diesel engines comply, nor have they licensed the BLUETEC technology from Daimler-Benz, which I couldn't see them doing anyway.
GM has a very successful and highly-regarded 1.9-liter diesel engine in their SAABs in Europe, but this engine was a byproduct of the failed partnership GM had with FIAT. It's a FIAT design. There's no indication that this engine would comply with U.S. emissions requirements.
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ug 11:17PM (7/16/2007)
50 state VW TDI. That's going to be tempting for a Californian considering the Volt is still 3 years off.
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pdx 12:45AM (7/17/2007)
"The other is a 2.9-liter V6 made by VM Motori S.p.A., an Italian engine maker (they already powered some Jeeps during the 90s for the European market)."
The Jeep Liberty CRD was sold in the USA for 2005 and 2006 equipped with a 2.8L VM Motori 4cyl diesel. They sold about 20k of them, twice as many as they had expected to sell.
"The German manufacturers who plan to start selling diesels in the U.S. next year plan to do this by using the BLUETEC technology licensed from Mercedes-Benz, but as far as I know GM has no urea-injection and/or NOx filtering system that would make their diesel engines comply, nor have they licensed the BLUETEC technology from Daimler-Benz, which I couldn't see them doing anyway."
There are other ways to do this. BLUETEC is only one common way. In fact the new smaller VWs will not use BLUETEC (however their larger engines will). And some of the Japanese manufacturers say they have ways they are doing it which do not require BLUETEC either.
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Joseph 1:17AM (7/17/2007)
"As for GM, I don't remember them claiming they'll be selling any diesel passenger cars in the future."
There's a video on the Fastlane blog in regard to GM's position (at least it's Bob Lutz's position) on diesel. I beleive they mention that they are indeed going to make diesel pssengers cars, although he doesn't think that they are all that great because of the increased cost.
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66coronet 5:56AM (7/17/2007)
W.S.J. announced that GM agreed to buy 50% of VM from Penske Corp. Transaction closes later this year. So then it will be Penske, GM & daimlerchrylser AG holding majority stakes in VM. But who knows what's going to happen to DCX when it splits. Will VM stakes be split 50/50 between daimler & chrysler?
As for the 2.9L crd caddy motor. It's also designed for FWD use as per VM/DDC.
As for Jeep cherokee(liberty), wrangler, dodge nitro & chrysler minivans using VM motors. They currently use the 2.8Lcrd in europe but the new MB 2.2Lcrd motor is to replace all VM 2.8L motors 2010-2011.
WSJ also says GM uses VM 2.0L in opel, vauxhall, and Chevrolet models in Europe.
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bidas 6:51AM (7/17/2007)
By the way the VM engines have fame of poor reliability... and as weel of "drunkers"...
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Bill 8:17AM (7/17/2007)
A previous article talked about GM car diesel engines for Europe, but implied there were no plans to bring them to the U.S.
And IIRC, Honda will be here with their 2.2L diesel Accord in 2009, then follow with a larger 3.5L diesel (minivan, small SUVs?) in 2010.
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Xavier Navarro 8:27AM (7/17/2007)
It's no secret that all makes have joined efforts to develop engines. Until the 90s, the diesel option was just one for most of them. Then VW brought the TDI engines and brought power and economy to the masses (diesels really are worth the price in most places). Other makes reacted by joining forces.
PSA + Ford have 1.4, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.2 offerings (I think there's a 2.7 V6 in some Jaguars and the upper Peugeots). The 2.0 is used, for instance, in Volvos and X-type Jags, but it's also in the Mondeo and S-Max and the 307, 407, C4, C5...
PSA + Mini have the 1.6 diesel for the Mini and the 207 (they also developed a new gas engine).
GM + Fiat did a 1.3 (which is a terrific engine when mated to a Corsa or a Fiat Panda) but the current 1.7 found in the Astra is a direct descent of an Isuzu design.
Chrysler is using VW's 2.0 TDI for the Dodge Nitro/Jeep Compass and the 200 Sebring. This engine appears in VW, Audi, Seat and Skodas. This engine is used by most taxis in Spain.
Nissan uses now (with a few exceptions), Renault's dCIs.
Toyota, Honda and Kia/Hyunday have their own developments.
About pollution and emissions: Particullate filters are being installed in almost all engines, but it's happening as with catalysers in the 90s: first the big ones until mandatory for everybody. Cycling behind an old diesel car is worse than smoking bad tobacco for your lungs.
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fd 9:37AM (7/17/2007)
Interesting for Ford to say the engines are too expensive for passenger vehicles, when in the EU, just like any other manufacturer, diesel engines make up 40-60% of sales, on certain models at least.
The diesel engine models are more expensive, but they do sell.
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bidas 9:41AM (7/17/2007)
Xavier(neighbor) you forgeted the 1.9 turbo diesel from GM + FIAT, but the 1.9 and the 1.3 from GM and FIAT now it's manufactured in separate factories.
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John 6:43AM (12/16/2008)
The first poster seems to be a victim of parental indoctrination efforts or the public school systems-sad. Anyways diesels certainly deserve a look as an alternative to gasoline until the longer term goal of developing another fuel source is realized. The new administration is filled with enviro-nazis so I expect emission regulations to further cripple the countries economy and make diesels a bad word that only the less "progressive" crowd would buy according to them-all millionaires by the way. I own a Jeep Liberty CRD and love it outside of the EGR-yes emissions again. I would like to see a diesel hybrid mid sized SUV. Whatever they introduce MUST be tested throughly, say 50K or so to be sure they put a high quality product out there and it will sell.
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joe 2:37PM (2/15/2009)
You know, Rick Wagoner is probably the most destructive element in the fall of GM. Come on, everyone else is considering a diesel and they just drag their feet. I firmly believe in BUYING AMERICAN, but, when they don't produce a product that just screams logic, well, then i guess it is about time the government just let them fail. No more money from the citizens to prop up a company that simply is not willing to change with the times. I just read that Mihindra is going to produce a diesel truck in the US and a diesel/battery vehicle. Ford and GM are simply, again, attempting to dictate to the public what they should buy rather than following the lead of the foreign competition and producing vehicles that the buying public wants. Wagoner just has to go. I often wonder what the board of directors at GM does. Their interests are truly not in the best interest of the company.
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Ron 12:40PM (5/18/2009)
Do an internet search for diesel automobiles. Going back a half dozen years you will see the exact same thing; we are right on the verge of a major influx of diesel imports and domestics. It never happens. When you look for the current diesel vehicles in the U.S. you find you are limited to VERY big pickup trucks, very expensive Mercedes Benz, a very small handful of VWs. As long as big oil keeps its grip on us we will never see diesel autos in this country. Gasoline engines have always been and will always be the cash cow of our lords and masters, oil companies.
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