New Diesel Vehicles: Realities and Rumors for 2008
So, who’s getting into the diesel game for the 2009 model year? The better question might be, “Who isn’t?” With scads of concepts appearing on auto show floors and bona fide vehicles headed to the showroom throughout 2008, here’s a round-up of the confirmed arrivals and juicy rumors about the new crop of diesel cars. (Just to be fair, they’re in alphabetical order. There is one stand-out in the crowd, a new technology from Honda that we’ll discuss after the list.)
• Audi: By the end of 2008 or early in 2009 Audi will start selling the Q7 3.0 TDI BlueTec. The SUV will be powered by a 3-liter V6 producing 233 hp and 369 lb. ft. of torque. (The BlueTec technology, using a combinations of catalysts and urea injection to neutralize pollutants, is being shared by Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, and Volkswagen in the United States.)
• BMW: Late in 2008 the diesel 335d and X5 xDrive 35D will arrive in the United States. The 335d will, in fact, be the first diesel BMW sold in this country. The engine is a 3-liter, twin-turbo inline six putting out 265 hp with 425 lb. ft. of torque. It should get 23 mpg city and 33 highway.
• Chevrolet: In the spring of 2008 the penultimate American sports car is going diesel. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette TDI will be equipped with a 5.7-liter V8 outfitted with twin turbochargers. The engine, a cooperative effort with Isuzu, has an estimated 350 hp and 675 lb. ft. of torque. It is capable of doing zero to sixty in under four seconds and will return 25 to 30 mpg.
• Chrysler: Late in 2009 or early in 2010 Chrysler LLC will offer light pick-ups powered by a new turbo diesel engine by Cummins with an expected cut in carbon emissions of 20%.
• Ford: Late in 2008 or early in 2009, Ford will bring out a next-generation F-150 with a diesel power plant derived from the 3.6-liter V8 used in Europe for the Land Rover Range Rover.
• General Motors: GM is introducing a cutting edge 4.5 liter V8 Duramax turbo-diesel engine that reputedly improves fuel use by 25% while cutting emissions 13% and NOx emissions and particulates by 90%. The company plans to put the engine in the chevy Silverado starting in 2009 and then use it for Hummer H2s later on.
• Honda: Honda Motors will bring a diesel Accord to the market in Japan and the U.S. simultaneously in 2009 with the CR-V following suit on an undisclosed timetable. The Accord engine is an aluminum 2.2-liter generating 150 hp with 260 lb. ft. of torque. The most interesting aspect of this engine is the fact that it will not require the addition of urea.
• Kia: The company isn’t offering anything interesting and diesel at the moment, but there’s talk of a diesel Borrego SUV within two to three years.
• Mercedes: Currently Mercedes Benz offers the E-Class E320 in all 50 states and will be introducing diesel versions of the M, GL, and R class. Additionally, the company has re-engineered three of its four-cylinder diesel engines destined to show up in the C-class in fall 2008. The newly designed units will put out about 25% more torque while cutting carbon dioxide emissions 13%.
• Nissan: Don’t look for a diesel Nissan in 2009 as the company has its sights set on 2010, perhaps with a diesel Titan pickup.
• Porsche: The 2009 Porsche Cayenne SUV, a definite for Europe and a possibility for North America, will be powered by a 3.2-liter V6 (twin turbo) at 300 hp returning 30 mpg. (The engine is built by Audi.)
• Subaru: Although nothing solid has been confirmed, Subaru is said to be considering a diesel Forester for the U.S. market “in the near future.”
• Volkswagen: In spring 2008 the VW Jetta TDI SportWagen will go on sale, featuring a 2-liter, 140 hp, BlueTec Clean Diesel TDI engine with 235 lb. ft. of torque. Expected fuel economy is rated at 50 mpg highway.
Now, why is the Honda offering so interesting out of this bunch? First, the advanced technology in the engine will meet the Tier 2 Bin 5 standards in all 50 states. Second, because it uses a NOx converter that makes its own ammonia, there won’t be any need to put in AdBlue (urea) to replenish the system. The chemical reaction that produces the ammonia produces no harmful emissions, just nitrogen and water. The converter’s matrix has two substrate layers. The outer layer stores NOx while the lower layer of platinum particles reacts with the exhaust to make the ammonia, which in turn reacts with the stored NOx. Honda claims it can scale the system for vehicles of any size. (Rumors are already circulating about the potential for a diesel Honda Odyssey.)
And what about those concepts that have been cropping up at motor shows? They include the Jeep Renegade, Audi R8 V12 TDI, Land Rover LRX, Mitsubishi Concept-RA, Saturn Flextreme, and Mercedes GLK. Far from just having their toe in the diesel pool, automakers are wading in up to their knees and beyond, with more diesel-powered vehicles hitting the market in 2008 and 2009 than the genre has seen in years. Will diesels edge out hybrid as the clean cars of the future? It may be too soon to tell, but the diesels are definitely in the running.