If you're looking to buy a diesel-powered vehicle in 2007, your choices are pretty slim. I drove the 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD
home last night, and except for the slight turbo lag and the location of the window switches (center console) I really liked the vehicle. The 295 lb-ft of torque (at 1,800 rpm) gives it plenty of gumption, and like all modern diesels there's really no issue with sound, smell or soot. BUT...the common rail diesl engine won't be offered in the 2007 Jeep Liberty because increasing emissions standards make it too expensive to upgrade and certifty, at least in Chrysler's opinion...
At least Jeep is holding steady with one diesel model being offered somewhere in the line-up. Volkswagen has completely bailed on diesel offerings for 2007, though they claim to have a Jetta in store for 2008. Mercedes-Benz is also touting their Blu-Tec E320, which should be 50-state legal when it hits this fall. I find the timing of dwindling diesel choices and increased fuel prices ironic. When it rains it pours. You can read more about this topic here.
By firstwagon
on September 22, 2006
10:16 AM
That must be killing the VW dealers here in Canada. Last numbers I saw the TDI was their must popular engine by a fair margin (followed by the base 4, the 1.8T and the distant VR6). I can't remember if I have ever seen a Jetta wagon that wasn't a diesel.
The only reason a lot of people buy a VW at all is the TDI. I'm surprised their engineering dropped the ball on this one.
By tsgeisel
on September 22, 2006
12:05 PM
Like Hybrids, what's going to save or kill the diesel engine is marketing. If the automakers can push the cleaner, more fuel efficient angle, people won't care so much about the fuel cost - especially if the price of the vehicle is comparable to the regular gas engine.
I wonder if anyone's working on a diesel hybrid?
By billt9
on September 22, 2006
05:00 PM
The engineers dropped the ball?
US laws are asking for something that's nearly impossible to do, and push science and technology very hard. I think the engineers are working as hard as they can, with the funds they have. It's just not possible, with the funding they have, and off the shelf technology available.
By tradscott
on September 25, 2006
01:14 PM
Where do you guys come up with the idea that the modern diesel is so clean? Do you think if you repeat it enough that it will be true?
Every time I sit behind one in traffic, I can smell it. It stinks. Plus, when the guy drivining it floors it from the stoplight, I see a ton of soot. And noise? The V-8 diesels in Ford's trucks is very noisy. I'll admit the little ones such as VW's TDI aren't that noisy, but it is still noticable.
By ulf187
on September 25, 2006
01:16 PM
The V-8 diesels in Ford's trucks is very noisy.
Thats not a modern diesel. The most diesel's you see in the US are build with technology from decades ago. I tyhink some of the semi's dont even use a turbo...
By hondacura4
on September 25, 2006
01:54 PM
Impossible to do? Honda has a diesel intended for the US market in a couple of years and it of course meets or exceeds the governments requirements. Mercedes has the BlueTec which is or will be available here, but from what Ive read Hondas setup is more efficient, less costly, and weighs less. The Honda diesel is supposedly very quiet, little or no smoke, and it doesnt smell. Engineering at its best!
By ethanwest
on September 25, 2006
09:50 PM
Hey Karl, on a different Daimler note, i stumbled upon a possible Dodge Avenger SRT concept. Or what i think is an Avenger SRT judging from the pictures (sorry i cannot read Polish). Anyway heres the link to check out the pictures
http://autogaleria.pl/news/index.php?id=670
By crashtestdingo
on September 27, 2006
07:51 PM
"Mercedes-Benz is also touting their Blu-Tec E320, which should be 50-state legal when it hits this fall."
M-B announced (I think it was before you made this blog entry) that the 2007 Blu-Tec will NOT be 50-state legal. The reason is that the EPA hasn't yet released a ruling about how drivers should be, um, coerced into making sure that cars equipped with urea systems are kept supplied with urea. So they are not equipping the 2007 Blu-Tec with a urea system and thus, it will not be clean enough for CA, NY, MA, VT and ME.
However, M-B recently announced that in 2008, they will offer the M-, R- and GL-classes with diesel engines in all 50 states. In fact, they claim that those vehicles will meet the stricter EPA Tier II-Bin 5 regulations that will go into effect then. I guess they anticipate that the EPA will have released the aforementioned ruling by then and they'll have had time to design a urea system into those vehicles.
As for VW, I'm surprised you didn't notice that they'll be cranking out MY 2006 TDI's in what's left of CY 2006 in order to have supplies of them available well into CY 2007. FYI: There was a recent post over on Autoblog about the public appearance of a MY 2008 Jetta (CRD) TDI production prototype which should be 50-state legal WITHOUT the need for urea. ETA: Q1 CY 2008