Re: Clean Diesel Cars Coming to US This Fall: 2008-2010

New diesels will get better mileage and have cleaner emissions than your average car. Pictured above: 2009 Jetta SportWagen 2L TDI Clean Diesel.

Later this year, we will finally begin to see an influx of new model diesels in the United States. While diesels make up 50% of the market share of vehicles in Europe, they’re still trying to shrug off the stigma of being dirty, noisy beasts here in the US.

What are “clean” diesels?

Clean diesel fuel powered cars will have to compete with hybrids. The selling point of clean diesel fuel is the fact that it performs well in various driving conditions as compared to hybrid vehicles that obtain fuel efficiency only in city driving. Diesel cars consume 20-to-40 percent less than gasoline cars.

1. Volkswagen

• When: August 2008
• Models: 2009 Jetta BlueTDI sedans and SportWagens
• Engine: 2-liter turbodiesel in-line 4
• Est. Mileage: 29/40 m.p.g. Sedan road tested at 60 MPG.
• Est. Base Price: $22,000 to $25,000

2. Mercedes

• When: November 2008
• Models: Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec, other GL-, ML- and R-Class sport crossover utilities (and someday: Vision GLK BlueTec diesel hybrid).
• Engine: 3-liter turbodiesel V-6
• EPA Mileage: 18/24 m.p.g.
• Est. Base Price: $46,000

3. BMW

• When: Fall 2008
• Models: 335d sedan and X5 35d sport wagon
• Engine: variable twin-turbo 6-cylinder
• Est. Mileage: ?
• Est. Base Price: ?
  

4. Audi

• When: January 2009
• Models: Q7 3.0 TDI utility wagon
• Engine: 3-liter turbodiesel V-6
• Est. Mileage: 18/25 m.p.g.
• Est. Base Price: $53,000

5. Honda (yes it’s true)

• When: 2009
• Models: Acura TSX sedan, other models could follow
  

  

• Engine: 2.2-liter i-DTEC
• Est. Mileage: 34/53 MPG
• Est. Base Price: ?

6. Jeep

• When: 2009
• Models: Jeep Grand Cherokee
  

  

7. General Motors/Ford/Dodge

• When: 2009 or 2010
• Models: Light-duty pickup trucks

8. Nissan

• When: 2010
• Models: Maxima sedan

9. Subaru

• When: 2010
• Models: Legacy sedan or Outback wagon
• Engine: 2-liter turbodiesel flat 4
• Est. Mileage: 33/47 m.p.g. (Outback)
• Est. Base Price: $28,000 (Outback)
  

  

Thanks for the post ... but I'll believe the dates when I see the cars available for sale and at the sticker price advertised.

What will be interesting is to know just how man of this vehicles will welcome biodiesel (B20-B100) as a petroleum alternative?

as a true patriotic citizen, I will volunteer to test one each of the new diesels. and I wont even charge the companies for it.

so please send one brand new car from each company to me.

it will help make up for the bailouts on the one hand. (yeah i know its not the right companies) who care? send me a car anyhow.

Hmm.. I think I'm gonna go for Audi. The Audi Q7 Standard 3.0 TDI quattro 233 PS tiptronic is the king of SUVS, perhaps the best of the best.

Were money not an issue, I'd love to drive the Q7.

I am with Rich on this one. I will believe it when I see it. I have been wating on that Honda for years. My bet is the Fed will do what it has done in th epast, raise the emmision standards again to prevent any such thing from happening.

I'm currently negotiating with a dealer on a new Ford Flex, which would LOVE a diesel engine. Heck, Warren Brown practically begged Ford to put a diesel engine in there. I probably won't buy it, but am negotiating. The deals are too good right now.

It will be interesting just how deeply Ford will discount the Flex (or the Edge for that matter) as I've not heard that they are discounting them quite as much?

I should have the opportunity to test drive the new Touareg 2 V-6 TDI diesel this week (May 2009) and am looking forward to it. Unfortunately from what I've heard, VW will not be having them in large number or be discounting at all ... even though they are already a very pricey SUV.