The Truth About Cars » Diesel

Audi: Walking and Biking Are For Idiots

Cammy Corrigan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:53:11 +0000

Want to do your bit for the environment, like ride a bike or take the bus? You loser! Buy an Audi instead! [headline explained here]

BMW Four Cylinder Diesels Coming

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:08:59 +0000

“You’re going to see it of course in the 3 Series,” BMW’s Tom Baloga tells Inside Line, “and the 5 Series is a good possibility. If the performance [of such an engine] is sufficient in the X3, U.S. customers would likely accept it in the X5 as well.” The “it” he’s referring to is BMW’s [...]

Chrysler: The Powertrain Plans

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:02:23 +0000

One of Chrysler’s major problems in the powertrain department is a mass of V6 engines of varying ages and displacements. The lack of interchangeability between engines contributes to Chrysler’s unprofitability, and the advanced age of some hurts overall fuel efficiency considerably. The debut of a brand-new Pentastar V6, arriving with next year’s Grand Cherokee, will [...]

Ram 1500: Diesel Option Dead?

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:35:22 +0000

Fans of oil-burners, brace yourselves. Dodge is confirming [via Detroit News] that a hybrid Hemi version of its light-duty Ram pickup is in the works. A diesel option, however, is still being reviewed. And its prospects aren’t looking good. When Chrysler senior vice president of engineering Scott Kunselman confirmed that the hybrid would be a [...]

The Dirty Business Of Clean Diesels

Paul Niedermeyer — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:45:06 +0000

We get accused a lot of being anti-diesel. In reality, most of us love driving them. Paying for them is another issue. VW has just announced pricing on the new 2010 Golf VI, and the diesel premium is…premium. As in $4500. Strictly speaking, that investment also buys you a slightly [...]

In Case You Were Wondering…

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:59:57 +0000

Positive Post of the Day: More Diesels for America Edition

Edward Niedermeyer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:17:45 +0000

Just be prepared to pay for them. Audi USA honcho Johan De Nysschen explains to Automotive News [sub] that “there certainly is a price premium [for diesel offerings], which we are partially recovering but not totally.” Audi CEO Rupert Stadler adds, “I think the problem is that we don’t really have an honest discussion.” So [...]

Ford Completes In-House Super Duty Diesel

John Horner — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:53:59 +0000

The long Ford-Navistar diesel engine drama has played out its final days and the replacement engine is finally officially in existence. Given the troubles—contractual and otherwise—with the outgoing Navistar-sourced engine, Ford is quite eager for everyone to know the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine is “Ford-engineered, Ford-tested and Ford-manufactured”. Buried amongst the PR [...]

Who Says You Can’t Have It All? Not the Europeans . . .

Cammy Corrigan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:50 +0000

Mick Jagger once sang that “you can’t always get what you want,” and, to a degree, he was right. As a petrol head and committed environmentalist, I’ve found I’ve had to make compromises. After going crazy in my friend’s Porsche Boxster, I develop a painful pang of guilt of all the resources I wasted in [...]

VW Ditches Ad Agency in Bid for “Mainstream Relevance”

Edward Niedermeyer — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:51:50 +0000

Ahem . . . Automotive News [sub] reports that VW is seeking a new ad agency, after four years with Crispin Porter & Bogusky. “Our goal of rapidly increasing our volume in a mature market requires the Volkswagen brand to evolve into a more relevant mainstream choice,” explains VW VP Marketing Tim Ellis. The Volkswagen brand [...]

Hammer Time: You Deserve a Break Today

Steven Lang — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:35:04 +0000

Evening time. Time for conversations, drinks, jokes and . . . spreadsheets? Apparently so. I’ve caught this nasty computerized bug lately. The symptoms are harder to shake than swine flu and almost as appealing. It’s figuring out my ‘cost to own’ for a variety of cars. The goal: get my cost down to 10 cents [...]

BMW 316d: Worth a Longing Glance?

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:32:54 +0000

It’s BMW’s most efficient 3 series yet, which means it’s a brand-killer stateside Not to worry though, the new M5 will have 600hp. We’ll get that. Anyway, the two liter BMW oil burner gets 62.8mpg (52 miles per US gallon, non-EPA testing) and emits fewer than 120 grams of carbon per kilometer. Too bad it [...]

The Ups and Downs of Diesel

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:59:45 +0000

Autoweek figures that the “dramatic decline in diesel fuel price” is what’s causing VW and Mercedes diesel sales to increase as a percentage of total sales in recent months. But only VW’s Jetta, and M-B’s ML, GL and R Classes have diesel options to take advantage of the mini-boom. To be fair, though, not many [...]

Audi “Clean Diesel” Campaign Hypes U.S. Energy Independence

Robert Farago — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:39:42 +0000

Anyone remember energy independence? You know: oil addiction? Freeing America from the oppressive yoke of foreign oil importation? I guess the yoke’s on us, isn’t it children? You know, at one time, energy independence was, as Paris Hilton used to say, hot. The issue was used to justify spending billions of federal tax dollars to [...]

Chrysler Cancels Cummins Contract

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:45:49 +0000

Cleveland Business News reports that ChryCo will cancel its contract with Cummins for diesel engines slated to power its Ram 1500 line of pickup trucks. This news comes as OEMs are abandoning diesel trucks in droves. Ford and GM have recently backed away from diesel light-duty trucks, while Toyota and Nissan have canceled heavy-duty diesel [...]

Diesel Prices Hit Parity With Gasoline

Edward Niedermeyer — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:01:36 +0000

The latest statistics from the Energy Information Administration show that diesel is actually .03 cents per gallon cheaper than gasoline on a national average. Whereas gas prices have risen considerably since their December low, the drop in diesel prices was slower, making the bounceback less extreme. According to CNN, the price parity can be traced [...]

“X3 xDrive18d, the most economical Sports Activity Vehicle BMW has ever offered”

Robert Farago — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:14:01 +0000

“d” as in diesel. So, no, this bud’s not for you, American oil burner fans. But it does represent a general trend for the Roundelians. See if you can spot it: “The arrival of the BMW X3 xDrive18d represents a new entry point for X3 ownership and is a significant draw for those new car [...]

What’s Wrong With This Picture? Brand, What Brand? Edition

Edward Niedermeyer — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:56:30 +0000

993c4s.com reports that the 250,000th Porsche Cayenne is a three-liter, six-cylinder diesel. Zuffenhausen pride!

The TSX That Might Have Been

Edward Niedermeyer — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:37:06 +0000

While Honda preps a beefed-up, AWD Venza-alike for the US market, this is the Accord Wagon that Europeans get to look forward to. The Type S comes with a 2.2 liter turbodiesel that makes 180 hp and pulls 280 factotums of torque [Ed. ha ha] at 2k RPM. Not your typical Honda screamer, eh? Anyway, [...]

TTAC Desert-to-Burning-Desert Eco-Challenge Day 4: City Driving and Ferraris

Mike Solowiow — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:20:06 +0000

Trying to eke out the best mileage whilst in a major city proves difficult. Trying to get the best mileage possible while on the Strip in Las Vegas proves downright impossible. No matter, as my car has Oklahoma plates and I’m in the biggest tourist destination in Nevada. So I consign myself to appear confused [...]

TTAC Desert-to-Burning-Desert Eco-Challenge. Day 1

Mike Solowiow — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:52:02 +0000

When the aircraft touched down in Oklahoma after a 36 hour journey from Abu Dhabi, my entire unit clapped in elation. We couldn’t stop smiling as we deplaned the plane, and my Commander shook my hand and say, “Welcome back, thanks for all you did, and don’t do anything stupid on your vacation.” So what [...]

Mahindra: “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Jeep Nameplate”

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:29:21 +0000

..although some US dealers might be nice! Indian firm Mahindra and Mahindra showed this tasty little neo-Willys at the recent Bologna auto show. The the 12-foot long, 1.5 ton off-roader concept sports a 2.5 liter diesel four, making 108 hp and 250 Nm. And since it is just a concept, that’s about all the info [...]

Autobloggreen Takes the BlueTec Bait. But Not Us. Oh Wait…

Robert Farago — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:19:17 +0000

Thanks to our new feature– What Wrong With This Picture (3WTP)– I am trained in the fine art of anomaly spotting. So when I saw this Autobloggreen (ABG) photo of Emmy Rossum filling-up her Blue Tec Merc with diesel, the cognitive dissonance nearly deafened me. First, check the posture. Emmy’s feet are way too close [...]

Porsche Surrenders More Brand Equity

Martin Schwoerer — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:41:34 +0000

This is what happens when a company makes more money by playing the markets than by selling product: the financial guys take over. In the good old days, Porsche made smallish, nimble cars that had great SPM and MPG ratings (the former being smiles per mile). Nowadays, Porsches are no longer small, but still manage [...]

Ask the Best and Brightest: WTH is a HHV?

Robert Farago — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:34:32 +0000

You gotta sit up and take notice when a new technology claims a 40 to 50 percent increase in fuel economy. Either that or hide your checkbook. Personally, professionally, I’ve never heard of a hydraulic hybrid vehicle (HHV), never mind a diesel hydraulic hybrid vehicle (DHHV?). But IndustryWeek has, as well as the United Parcel [...]