The IS 220d is the first diesel Lexus. It Is also the only diesel Lexus you can buy, and to buy it you have to live in Europe. Some people are saying we are ready for it in the States, and I agree. The Engine being used is a 2.2L turbo-diesel that makes 175 horsepower and 295lb.ft of torque. The car gets 30 city and 44 hwy mpg. These IS Lexus models are very good looking cars. They will be good competition Continue reading
Honda is planing several Diesel models for the United States in the next few years, one of them is Honda’s entry level SUV, the CR-V. It will be using the 2.2L i-CTDi engine. This four cylinder diesel is already used in Hondas in Europe, and is used in cars like the CR-V, Civic, and Accord. It produces 138hp and 250lb-ft of torque. The European version of the Honda CR-V diesel gets a Combined 36mpg, making it one of the most fuel efficient compact suvs you can get. With fuel cost being so high right now and showing no signs of dropping, Continue reading
When the First Concept for the Tiguan came to the U.S. it had VW’s new 2.0L Clean TDi engine under the hood. So its no Surprise we will be able to buy a Diesel Tiguan with that same engine soon. With the addition of the Tiguan to Volkswagen’s line up, they now have a answer to other Compact suvs like the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV-4 and the Honda CR-V. Also with this new Tiguan they will be the only compact suv offering a Diesel engine for 2009. This 2.0L diesel is the same engine that VW is putting in the Jetta. It produces Continue reading
Nissan is planning a Diesel Maxima for 2010. It will be using a Diesel V6 co developed by Renault. The 3.0-liter V6 dCi, should produce around 261hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. No word yet on the Miles per gallon of this car, but I’m guessing it will be around 38 Combined city and highway. I would estimate that the price will be around $35,000, diesels are normally more expensive the gasoline counterparts Continue reading
The popular Volvo S40 will be getting a overhaul for 2009, and plans for a diesel model in 2010. The diesel engine offered is Volvo’s D5. Aluminum block and cylinder head, double overhead cam, 20 valve, and common rail direct injection. It will be generate around 185 horsepower and 295lb-ft of torque. No word yet on the Mile per gallon statistics. There is also talk that Volvo will discontinue Continue reading
The Audi Q7 won’t be the only Diesel in Audi’s line up for 2009. The Audi A4 should follow the Q7 later in the year, using the same 3.0L Diesel producing around 240 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque. The Quattro should get around 34 combined mpg. Audi says that the new V6 TDi will be one of the cleanest Diesel engines in the world as far as emissions. It will pass the extremely high Tier 2 Bin 5 NOx Continue reading
With the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDi available, I can’t help but wonder if the VW 2.0 Diesel will become available in other VW/Audi cars and suvs that share it’s platform (Tiguan, Rabbit, Audi TT). The 2009 A3 will have some changes over the previous year. The body has a more sporty appearance and the headlights and taillights are a little different. the interior is seeing minor changes too. The engines are the same as in 2008 with a four and six cylinder gasoline engines. Its a possibility that a diesel option could come out later in the year though. Continue reading
Toyota has plans to take on the big three with two new diesel power plants for the Tundra. To combat the new half-ton Dodge, Ford and GM/Chevrolet Diesels, Toyota has a twin turbo 4.5L V8. To go against the heavy duty diesels, Toyota has a 7.0L V8. Both engines should be available in 2010. The smaller 4.5L diesel will also be offered in the Sequoia. With Fuel Prices rising Truck sales are slowing. Continue reading
Developing hybrids is a expensive endeavor for Auto manufacturers. A more cost effective way of building very fuel efficient cars is to build diesel engines instead. Hyundai is currently working on making their new 3.0L V6 turbo diesel, 50 state legal. They want to have a Hyundai Veracruz diesel at dealerships for the 2009 model year. The Veracruz is Hyundai’s high end crossover vehicle. Another Hyundai model that we could see this V6 diesel in is the Santa Fe. Sense Hyundai and Kia share engines in certain models you might see them available Continue reading
Cadillac was the first American company to make a Diesel passenger car in 1979. Some people may still cringe at the prospect of owning a Diesel Cadillac. After the late 70’s, Cadillac had to recover from the very poor reliability of its Oldsmobile built “dieselized” version of their 5.7L V8 gas engine. The root problem of this engine was just that, it was a gasoline engine converted by Olds to run Diesel fuel, and it was rushed through production. The Result was a bad reliability and a tarnished reputation for Cadillac and Oldsmobile. Here is a video showing off one of these old Continue reading
