Suzuki is working closely with Fiat to increase their supply of diesel-powered cars in India. The two have been working together since 2003 when Suzuki started offering a Fiat-sourced 2.0-liter diesel in their Sedici/SX4 duo. That partnership flew in the face of another deal between Suzuki and Volkswagen that has since imploded. Recently rising gas...
Continue Reading...
There was a time in North America that the letters “TDI” and the word “diesel” was unknown. In fact, most American consumers wouldn’t even understand the idea of a diesel-powered passenger car, save for the dreadful Oldsmobile diesels of the 1970’s. But times have changed, or rather gasoline prices have skyrocketed, and more and more...
Continue Reading...
BMW held a dealer presentation in the Netherlands and a leak has rumors stirring that the upcoming M550d will officially come with 381-hp and 516 lb-ft of torque from its tri-turbo, inline-six diesel powerplant. Even though the horsepower figure comes in lower than the early speculations of over 500-hp, the torque is pretty impressive. It...
Continue Reading...
Say the word Jaguar, and probably the first thing to come to mind won’t be fuel efficiency. Jaguar recently took a road trip from New York to Los Angeles in a British spec XF 2.2 Diesel, and covered the 2884-miles journey at an average of 62.9-mpg. This makes it the most efficient Jaguar ever made....
Continue Reading...
The team at Jaguar have now begun North American testing of a standard 2.2 liter four-cylinder diesel Jaguar XF and, to channel the spirit of the Cannonball, have appointed two independent drivers to take their diesel sedan across 2,800 miles and through the 11 states between New York City and Los Angeles. While the words...
Continue Reading...
If you aren’t familiar with the gravely rumble of a diesel powered vehicle you probably will be soon. They’re commonplace in Europe thanks to better milage and will be in the same position on American shores thanks to increasingly stringent government standards. Jeff Breneman, executive director of the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars,...
Continue Reading...
While the BMW 3-Series diesel never really took off in the North American market, diesel powered Bimmers make up about 50 percent of European 3-Series sales, and the brand reports similar numbers for the X5 in North America. BMW USA execs admit that there’s still an issue of convincing customers regarding how well modern diesels...
Continue Reading...
Mazda is hoping to boost sales in the United States by 74 percent, and a key component of their strategy will be delivering sporty vehicles that can turn out “real world” fuel economy numbers. “It’s not acceptable to us have 40 mpg and sacrifice performance,” said Robert Davis, Mazda’s senior VP of U.S. operations. Rivals...
Continue Reading...
The world’s economy stinks, gas is expensive and we’re all watching our wallets closely. You might assume that would also indicate less car parts being sold, but not for diesel engine manufacturer Cummins. “Several of the economies where Cummins operates are clearly weakening,” COO Tom Linebarger told analysts last month. “We really don’t know how...
Continue Reading...
Volkswagen is recalling 168,000 diesel engine vehicles produced from 2009-2012 over a possible leak from the fuel injectors that could start a fire. The vehicles in question are Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and Golf models as well as the Audi A3 TDI. 161,144 VWs and 7,131 Audis are involved in the recall, while no injuries...
Continue Reading...
The Mazda CX-5 will enter the highly competitive compact crossover segment in the U.S when it debuts in early 2012. The CX-5 prototype was equipped with 165-hp 2.0-liter engine producing 150 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the American version will likely use the same setup. A diesel variant available...
Continue Reading...
Owners of BMW‘s 2009 X5 SUV powered with a diesel engine should be keeping their eyes out for a recall notice, scheduled to be sent out on October 1st. The recall is for a replacement fuel filter heater that BMW has concluded can be faulty in 2,120 X5 SUVs with a diesel engine manufactured from...
Continue Reading...
Off-roaders may want to listen up, this is your lucky day. Land Rover has confirmed production for the next-gen Defender SUV. The British automaker intends to launch a new Defender in 2015, and the concept version (DC100) will be present at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Gerry McGovern, Director of Design for Land Rover weighed...
Continue Reading...
Two National Guard Light Medium Tactical Vehicles were entirely submerged during the Hurricane Irene aftermath, and the action was captured on video. The two trucks drove through the deep water in downtown Manville. They managed to drive about a block before either water got into the engine or the drivers ran out of breath. At...
Continue Reading...
Despite poor showings in various quality surveys, not to mention anecdotal evidence abound, Volkswagen is tackling its vehicle quality problems head on, and is openly discussing the steps it will take to remedy them. The J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, regarded as the gold standard among industry types, pegged VW at 29th out of 32...
Continue Reading...
In 2010, Volkswagen took a twenty-percent stake in Suzuki, and virtually no progress has been made from the alliance since then. Neither side has been thrilled with the coalition and the two automakers have even stated cultural differences as being a factor in the failed relationship. Both automakers had different goals: VW wanted to expand...
Continue Reading...
This is it for SUV lovers, the piece de resistance. Bentley is working on a design and engineering project to launch a very high-end £150,000 SUV by 2014, according to CEO Wolfgang Durheimer. Design chief Dirk van Braeckel and engineering boss Uli Eichhorn are spearheading the project with Durheimer to get the SUV ready. “I...
Continue Reading...
Diesel sales have vastly improved through the end of July, up 38.5 percent, compared to the same seven- month cycle in 2010. Volkswagen has been leading the sales with the Jetta TDI and Golf TDI. Volkswagen sold 5,206 Jetta TDI models in July, bringing the diesel powered sedan’s year-to-date total to 56,717. On the other...
Continue Reading...
Over the last few years, diesel technology has taken a huge leap in technology. So much so, that a diesel powered car is the preferred choice of weapon for any endurance race. With their success on the track being recognized, it’s only a matter of time before fast diesels make their way into road cars,...
Continue Reading...
Volkswagen was one of several large automakers that did not sign off on the Obama Administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for 2025. “We still have a dialogue going on with the administration in terms of how we think the policy needs to be adjusted,” said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America....
Continue Reading...
For over a decade now, Lexus has been the most popular luxury brand in the U.S, but the Toyota-owned company has struggled in the European market due to a lack of diesel engines. Lexus hopes to change this in the coming years as a diesel option becomes available for the next-gen GS model. Lexus will...
Continue Reading...
Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid has been testing in London, all the better to usurp the Continent’s diesels in favor of its “27% better” electric cord. What does this “27% better” get you? Well, Toyota says, the Prius plug-in takes 27% less fuel than a diesel after a full charge, which takes around 72 minutes. As...
Continue Reading...
General Motors has officially confirmed that there will be a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the U.S, planned for introduction in 2013. The current Chevrolet Cruze Eco is rated at around 40 mpg on the highway, so the diesel would have to deliver significantly better fuel efficiency than that to justify...
Continue Reading...
Toyota’s new Yaris is built on the strengths the Yaris has become known for including its durability, versatility, efficient engines and easy to drive nature. Toyota has now taken these key aspects into the new model and gone further to offer a sharper, more agile, more contemporary looking vehicle. The Yaris will also appeal both to technology-focused customers and...
Continue Reading...
sidebar...