…it’s the government’s fault.

Okay, I know, it’s something of a non sequitur to launch right into blaming the government with absolutely no preamble, but that’s cool.  Because I’ve got the backing to support it.  It’s not ALL the government’s fault, of course, but there’s blame enough for everybody.

One, a huge problem is regulation.  As it turns out, most of those “good, small diesels” I reference above are too small for most American markets.  They have really slow zero to sixty times, which doesn’t work out too well for Americans who actually NEED rapid acceleration for things like merging and making left turns in congested areas.  So the power on most diesel over here is ramped up accordingly and from there, boom.  There are also problems with the various filter systems and a surprising difference between United States and European emissions laws.

Suddenly the emissions are too nasty, and the model is useless here.

Two, there’s a huge cost problem.  Diesel engines are, by their very nature, more expensive to build than regular gas or flex-fuel vehicles, and then when you have to add that power boost, there’s an extra cost tacked on besides.

So between these two factors, good, small diesels are downright hard to come by out here in the States.

Continue reading...

From the look of the initial reports, the LC3 model of the Toyota Land Cruiser is going to get some serious modifications made to it.  Let’s take a quick look at the list.

–It’ll be getting about thirty five miles per gallon on a new kind of diesel engine, but a gas engine will be available on other models and get roughly the same mileage.

–The suspension has been revised and will give a more comfortable ride.

–Power and braking systems are altered to improve the Land Cruiser’s offroad capabilities.

You can see that there are a whole lot of improvements made in the newer model Toyota Land Cruiser, and chances are this will draw a whole lot of interest, especially from current truck and SUV owners planning to make trades.  A small SUV that gets thirty five miles per gallon and comes in straight gas or diesel?  That’s too good for a lot of car buffs to turn down.

Continue reading...

The Nissan 370Z sports car, one of the most wanted cars to date, will be launching in India in 2010. This move, announced by Hover Automotive India Vice Chairman G M Singh, aims to bring more variants to the Indian market despite a limited demand for now. But showing much optimism on the car demand market trend, he expects the demand to increase after some time.

The target date is January 2010 where the Nissan 370Z Sports Car is expected to be priced around Rs 35-38 lakh. At the same time, another car was likewise unveiled in the Micra hatchback which will become available in petrol and diesel. The price range for the Micra is expected to play around Rs 5 lakh.

Nissan is aiming to introduce nine new variants in India by 2012.

(Source) BS Motoring

Continue reading...

Earlier this week Volkswagen took center stage at the Frankfurt Motor Show to show us their extremely futuristic looking diesel-powered L1 concept. They then followed suit and showed us the E-Up! concept, an all electric vehicle which we now know is expected to go into production by 2013.

Well, it seems that VW wasn’t done talking about the L1 concept as they have recently let us know that they expect it to enter production right around the same time as the E-Up! (sometime around 2013) and that it will get 170MPG. This goes along with the previous statement that the L1 will travel 100 kilometers using just 1.38 liters of diesel fuel.

While there’s no telling if the L1 concept will every actually hit the streets, if/when it does it’s sure to look nothing like what is pictured above.

via engadget

Continue reading...

BMW is really looking to blur the boundaries between the present and the future with they new Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept hybrid vehicle. As you can see from the above picture this car features a super futuristic design with glass gullwing doors and other components making for an ultra light vehicle.

Under the hood is a 356 hp diesel/electric engine capable of 590 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 155 mph. To car is to pull power from regenerative brakes that will juice 98 lithium polymer cells making for a range of ~31 miles on electricity alone.

Chances are we’ll see more of BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show which is right around the corner.

via press

Continue reading...

Volkswagen has recently been kind enough to let us know that their brand new 2010 VW Golf TDI will start at $21,990. Furthermore, the automaker also let us know that the car is rated at 29mpg for the city and 40mpg on the highway.

Under the hood of the 2010 VW Golf TDI, consumers can expect to find a 2.0-liter diesel burning engine couples with a 6-speed manual transmission. Anyone takers?

Read (Volkswagen)

Continue reading...

Audi has today announced the impending availability of the A6L TDI. This vehicle is a diesel burning alternative to the already popular Audi A6L which reportedly managed to move 8,440 vehicles in July alone.

This vehicle features a 2.7-liter engine with 189HP and 258 pound-feet of torque along with a 34.6mpg fuel efficiency rating. While you won’t be able to pick this up anywhere outside of China, Chinese consumers can expect to pay around 488,800 yuan or about $71,500 USD for Audi’s brand new A6L TDI.

via autobloggreen

Continue reading...

Peugeot isn’t supposed to debut their 3008 HYbrid4 and RCZ HYbrid4 until this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show but the company has gone ahead and released some details on it anyways.

Pictured above is their 3008 HYbrid4 which will feature a diesel/hybrid powertrain system making for a ridiculously fuel efficient vehicle. In fact, studies show the 3008 HYbrid4 will get a CO2 rating of 99g/km while the RCZ HYbrid4 has a rating of 95g/km.

That’s about all we know about these two vehicles as of now so we will have to wait until the Frankfurt Motor Show to hear more. Let’s just hope that somehow Peugeot brings these vehicles to America. A diesel burning hybrid? Count me in.

via wcf

Continue reading...

Diesel is currently becoming one of the go-to solutions for those MPG-concious drivers. Smart’s Fortwo vehicle has been generally accepted by such folk but the automaker is looking to make the car even more enticing.

Smart has reportedly increasing the horsepower of the Fortwo cdi by 21% and the torque by 18% which will help to power the car from 0-62MPH in 16.8 seconds.

Since the car is still only 58HP it will feature 69MPG, any takers?

via AutoBlogGreen

Continue reading...

During a recent interview with Autocar, BMW’s M development Chief, Albert Biermann was questioned if we will ever see a diesel burning M branded vehicle.

While he gave no official confirmation, he said that the company definitely sees a diesel-powered M branded model as a possibility. Unfortunately, he did not speak of which model would see such a conversion only leaving us to ponder.

Below is a quote from the interview:

“I don’t think there’s a proven business case for big diesel-engined performance cars yet,” he said, “but if that changes, we’ll be well placed to take advantage.”

Let’s hope that BMW M hops on the diesel-powered wagon sooner rather than later before they have to release an all-electric or hydrogen version.

via WorldCarFans

Continue reading...

Mercedes has recently announced that they will be adding 2 new energy efficent E200 BlueEfficiency models to their E-Series line of vehicles.

The first model will be entitled the E200 CGI and feature a gasoline burning 4 cylinder 2.1-liter turocharged engine producing 184HP and 200 pounds of torque. All of that will make for a 0-62mph sprint of 8.5 seconds while maintaing 32.7MPG.

The other model, entitled the E200 CDI, however, will feature a 4 cylinder 2.1-liter turbocharged diesel engine capable of a 0-62mph sprint in 10.2 seconds with 45.2.MPG.

Unfortunately these models were only announced for the European market so us American drivers will have to sit tight until Mercedes releases further word.

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

Continue reading...

The growing problem of reduce emissions has become a concern and various tactics to try and reduce them comes in various forms and resolutions. And if there is one driving factor that helps in reducing these harmful carbon emissions, it is that of financial incentive programs as proven by Emisstar LLC.

Emisstar Principal Glenn Goldstein said, “Our aim with this study was to analyze existing incentive-based emissions reduction approaches nationwide, and to recommend how a regional NGV financial incentive program could be developed and implemented in the New York area.” The Emisstar report was commissioned by NGV America, a national organization dedicated to the development of a growing, sustainable and profitable market for vehicles powered by natural gas or hydrogen.

The Emisstar report suggests a specific framework for a regional natural gas program that would offer incentives for the replacement of Class 6 through Class 8 diesel-fueled vehicles with new vehicles powered by natural gas. The report provides detailed recommendations regarding administrative processes and program criteria including vehicle eligibility, scrapping requirements, funding sources and thresholds based on emissions reduced.

(Source) Press

Continue reading...

It seems that Porsche tuning extraordinaire’s Techart have taken the Porsche Cayenne diesel into their garage as a new project car. What you see above is the result.

While the stock Cayenne diesel features 240hp and 406 pounds of torque, the same car outfitted with the Techart tuning kit will be able to pump out 290hp and 465 pounds of torque. This brings the car’s 0-60 sprint time down to 7.7 seconds from the previous 8.3 seconds. AutoBlogGreen reports that all of these numbers were produced without changing any of the car’s fuel economy or emissions.

Of course, all this performance is going to cost you. If you want to get a Cayenne diesel with the mods already done it will cost you around $89,000. If you want just the body kit it’ll be around $24,000 and just the engine kit, around $4,000.

Continue reading...

2010 Peugeot 407 Coupe

Peugeot is enhancing its 407 Coupe model lineup for 2010 by introducing a new pair of diesel engines that have been developed with Ford. There is the new 3.0-liter V6 HDi diesel that was recently introduced on the Citroen C5 and C6 models. The new 3.0-liter generates 240HP at 3,800 rpm and is the most powerful engine ever used on a production Peugeot. It is furnished with a particle emissions filter (PEF) and compliant to Euro 5 standards. This V6 diesel is joined with a six-speed sequential automatic gearbox that powers the four-seater coupe from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.7 seconds with a top speed of 240km/h or 149 mph.

The second new diesel engine for 407 Coupe is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder HDi that is linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox and develops an output of 163HP and 340Nm of torque. With the 4-cylinder HDi, this 407 Coupe goes from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 9.1 seconds with a maximum speed of 220km/h or 137mph. All the 2010 407 Coupe models come with newly styled door mirrors and an all-new navigation system.

Continue reading...

There is something about the Toyota Urban Cruiser that makes it tick in the UK market, especially during these times when people are whittling down their transport needs. We are all aware that many are putting into consideration a lot of factors, fuel consumption which is perhaps the prime one.

However, new as it may seem, the new Toyota Urban Cruiser seems to possess something that is drawing attention. It is built in the same infrastructure as the Toyota Yaris and boasts of clever spacing for the family trips.

The car is for those who want the rugged four by four feeling without the ‘Chelsea Tractor’ image and is a softer alternative to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Aimed at singles and couples in their thirties and forties, rival models include the Suzuki SX4, the Kia Soul and the much-publicised Nissan Qashqai.

Two models are currently available; the two-wheel drive 1.3 litre petrol and the four-wheel drive 1.4 litre diesel. Both models produce around a humble 130g/km of CO2 and with the Toyota ‘Optimal Drive’ feature, official fuel figures are an impressive 51.4-mpg for the petrol and 57.6-mpg combined for the diesel.

(Source) Press

Continue reading...