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At the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), diesel is the talk of the town. Every automaker, big or small, American or Japanese, had to include in its plans or portfolios at least one diesel-powered vehicle. But as usual, the Germans lead the way...
With their new R8 V12 TDI producing 505 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque, the folks at Audi made a mockery of the Americans, who still want to believe that diesel delivers more smell than power. The introduction of this extreme supercar -- a concept for sure, but one which Audi executives hope to go into production with -- flabbergasted many journalists on hand, even those who keep faith in the supposed invincibility of gasoline-powered V8 engines.
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| Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept |
BMW with the 335d and X5 xDrive35d (which uses an all-new Blue Performance engine that meets the toughest North American emission standards) and Volkswagen with the Jetta TDI (which sparked its very own racing series in the U.S.) are other German manufacturers who took advantage of the Detroit show to clearly demonstrate the power and refinement of today's clean diesel engines.
Following in their footsteps are Japanese brands like Acura, set to launch a clean diesel powerplant (called i-DTEC) in North America by 2009. It will meet the BIN 5 Tier 2 emission standards without resorting to a urea-based particle filter system.
Toyota engineers also decided to try their hand at diesel engines while attacking Detroit's Big Three on their own ground. The world's number one automaker confirmed plans to produce a diesel version of such full-size trucks as the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV. No word yet on passenger car applications.
While showing tangible interest, American manufacturers have yet to fully embrace the diesel technology. At Ford, for instance, engineers chose to work on a new turbocharged, direct-injected powerplant called EcoBoost instead of developing diesel engines.
Likewise, the only diesel-powered model from Chrysler at the 2008 NAIAS is the Jeep Renegade Hybrid Concept, which combines a Bluetec engine with an electric motor.
As for General Motors, it took a radical machine like the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept to justify the use of diesel. However, that car was easily overshadowed by new hybrids and E85-compatible models like the Saturn VUE Green Line and Saab 9-4x Biofuel.
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