At the International Vienna Motor Symposium, which starts today, Volkswagen is announcing that its next-generation turbo diesel engine, BlueTDI - developed especially for the North American market - will initially be available in the U.S. version of the Jetta. The Jetta BlueTDI will come to North America sometime in the middle of this year, followed at some point by the Touareg BlueTDI.

BlueTDI is the cleaner version of the already pretty clean TDI engine that VW uses in its European diesels (starting with the Tiguan last year). TDI meets the Euro-5 standard and BlueTDI is ready for the stricter Bin 5, Level 2 standards that are in force in five U.S. states, including California. Not only does the BlueTDI engine have the low emissions, but VW's director of powertrain development, Dr. Ing. Jens Hadler, said in a statement that the Jetta BlueTDI can get up to 60 mpg in highway driving. Perhaps that'll ease the pain of the Golf TDI hybrid's failure to launch. The BlueTDI displaces 2.0 liters and generates 103 kW/140 PS with 320 Nm of torque. More details after the break.

Diesel racers have had a lot of success in the recent past. But what happens when you have diesel racing diesel? We'll find out soon. For 2008, Volkswagen is replacing the current GTI cup with the Jetta TDI Cup. As the name implies, the new series will use the new Jetta TDI diesel sedan. For racing purposes, the 2.0L diesel will be rated at 170 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque pumping through the standard six-speed DSG gearbox. The suspension and brakes will be beefed up for track use and all the usual racing safety equipment will be included. Take a look at the schedule here and the complete list of contenders here. We'll be on-hand at one of these upcoming races, so expect to hear plenty more on this particular topic on our pages.

Ready for more? Here's Number 3.

Sure, diesel fuel costs a pretty penny in the U.S. these days, but that shouldn't stop Americans from fawning over a diesel VW Tiguan that gets over 40 mpg on the European combined cycle and emits 185 g/km of CO₂ (that number could be lower, in our eye, but still). The Brits will soon be able to take one of these CUVs home for the pretty penny price of £22,670 ($45,000 US) for the SE or £23,370 ($46,400) for the Sport trim. VW dealers are taking orders now. The Tiguan's new 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS common rail diesel engine can pump out up to 258 lbs ft of torque. Details after the jump. Early reports from the UK on the Tiguan TDI are favorable, and there's at least some hope that fawning Americans will get their chance.