Clean Diesel Cars Coming to US This Fall: 2008-2010 Timeline

http://gas2.org/2008/05/21/clean-diesel-cars-coming-to-us-this-fall-2008-2010-timeline/

New diesels will get better mileage and have cleaner emissions than your average car. Pictured above: 2009 Jetta SportWagen 2L TDI Clean Diesel.

Later this year (see the timeline below), we will finally begin to see an influx of new model diesels in the United States. While diesels make up 50% of the market share of vehicles in Europe, they’re still trying to shrug off the stigma of being dirty, noisy beasts here in the US. So what changed?
What are “clean” diesels?

In 2006, the EPA required the introduction of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), which removed a major polluting component of diesel fuel. Since sulfur would damage advanced emissions control systems, ULSD paved the way for better emissions control technology.
As early as August, we will start to see a new era of diesels that employ new technology to meet the strictest emissions standards in the world—BIN5/LEV II—which are enforced by 5 US states: California, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, and Vermont. BIN5/LEV II standards severely cap nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions (0.05 g/mile), one of the two tailpipe pollutants that have given diesels a bad rap (that and particulate matter).
Newer filters in these emissions systems trap particulate matter, while each model uses its own method to process NOx. Several models, including those from BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, will require the maintenance of a six- to eight-gallon tank of urea. The ammonia-rich solution (for example: Mercedes BlueTEC) is injected into exhaust to neutralize smog-forming nitrogen oxides. Since the urea tanks only require replenishing every 12,000 miles or so, inconvenience seems minimal, and some models, like Honda and VW diesels, meet emissions requirements without them.
While you might expect most of these diesels to get exceptional mileage, some of them do surprisingly poor. For example, the Mercedes and Audi models only get around 18/25 MPG (making this a good reason to continue to avoid SUVs). I know that the new emissions technology is supposed to negatively affect mileage, but 25 MPG is unimpressive, considering that VW’s Jetta BlueTDI got a road tested 60 MPG.
While the high price of diesel fuel is eating into some of the economic advantage of buying a new diesel vehicle, the difference is offset by mileage gains of 25 to 40% over comparable gas models. You might not see too much difference in sticker prices, either. Some models could cost $1,500 to $3,500 more for this new emissions control technology, but VW says its Jetta SportWagens could cost $2,000 less. Also be on the lookout for Federal tax credits that could be as large as $3,400 per vehicle.
When can we expect to see clean diesels in the US? Here’s the timeline:

1. Volkswagen

• When: August 2008
• Models: 2009 Jetta BlueTDI sedans and SportWagens
• Engine: 2-liter turbodiesel in-line 4
• Est. Mileage: 29/40 m.p.g. Sedan road tested at 60 MPG.
• Est. Base Price: $22,000 to $25,000

2. Mercedes

• When: November 2008
• Models: Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec, other GL-, ML- and R-Class sport crossover utilities (and someday: Vision GLK BlueTec diesel hybrid).
• Engine: 3-liter turbodiesel V-6
• EPA Mileage: 18/24 m.p.g.
• Est. Base Price: $46,000

3. BMW

• When: Fall 2008
• Models: 335d sedan and X5 35d sport wagon
• Engine: variable twin-turbo 6-cylinder
• Est. Mileage: ?
• Est. Base Price: ?

4. Audi

• When: January 2009
• Models: Q7 3.0 TDI utility wagon
• Engine: 3-liter turbodiesel V-6
• Est. Mileage: 18/25 m.p.g.
• Est. Base Price: $53,000

5. Honda (yes it’s true)

• When: 2009
• Models: Acura TSX sedan, other models could follow
  
  
• Engine: 2.2-liter i-DTEC
• Est. Mileage: 34/53 MPG
• Est. Base Price: ?

6. Jeep

• When: 2009
• Models: Jeep Grand Cherokee
  
  

7. General Motors/Ford/Dodge

• When: 2009 or 2010
• Models: Light-duty pickup trucks

8. Nissan

• When: 2010
• Models: Maxima sedan

9. Subaru

• When: 2010
• Models: Legacy sedan or Outback wagon
• Engine: 2-liter turbodiesel flat 4
• Est. Mileage: 33/47 m.p.g. (Outback)
• Est. Base Price: $28,000 (Outback)
  
  

The estimated mileage of the yet unreleased models appear to be based upon fuel consumption figures of European models converted to U.S. units. To say the least, they're range from mildly- to wildly optimistic -- especially the Honda and Subaru examples. There are just so many variables that make European mileage figures different from U.S. ones: different driving cycle, different emissions equipment (European models do not need NOx catalyst aftertreatment to meet Euro-4 emissions regulations that would be required to meet U.S. Tier 2 Bin-5. Given similar size, weight, power and engine displacement, the fuel consumption of both the Honda and Subaru should be comparable should be comparable to that of the released `09 Jetta TDI. To attach numbers for proof, the Euro-spec Jetta TDI with the 140 HP common-rail engine and manual transmission returns the following fuel consumption figures: 7.1 L/100km city 4.5L/100km highway and 5.5L/100km combined, respectively. The numbers for the Honda Accord 2.2 i-DTEC: 7.3/4.6/5.6 and Subaru: 7.0/4.8/5.6. These numbers can be considered very close, and I would also expect the U.S. variants to also follow the `09 Jetta TDI's numbers.

Volkswagen Toureg is missing in here as the V6 Clean TDI is comming soon, and possibly the Tiguan in the next two years. Oh, and lets not forget the Audi A4 which is comming very soon as well.

What numbers are optimistic? The subaru numbers are below what the car is getting in the UK (even with the imperial gallon conversion). The audi and Benz seem low and the honda hwy mileage is the only one that seems high.

In fact looking at the Subaru numbers and converting them they match up almost exactly.

What I'm saying is that you CANNOT simply look up the numbers and convert them. But what I'm also saying is that the Subaru gets almost identical fuel consumption compared to a Jetta CR-TDI 140HP in the European cycle in European emissions spec, so I'd expect it to get almost identical fuel consumption in the U.S. cycle in Tier-2 Bin-5 spec. as the U.S. Jetta. So, 33/47 is optimistic compared to 29/40. I don't really care about the figure outside of official EPA numbers because results can be any distribution better or worse.

Trooper81 said:

Volkswagen Toureg is missing in here as the V6 Clean TDI is comming soon, and possibly the Tiguan in the next two years. Oh, and lets not forget the Audi A4 which is comming very soon as well.

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It's also missing the Mercedes E320 BlueTec, which is already available.

I want the A4, but the T-reg or Tig may fit the bill, too.

So is it an Accord or an Acura? It seems like no one really knows. The last article that I read said it was a Euro Acrua TSX that was going to be badged as a Honda Accord, and the photo of the test vehicle in NYC had a Honda logo.

It's kind of important, as my parents are more keep to purchase a new Honda/Acura product over a VW product due to perceived reliability.

update: called an Acura dealer and they said there will be a diesel TSX in 2009 but no pricing or availability has been released on it yet. But it is coming. The current year models are $29k to $32k in price... that's um, a lot more than a VW. If the Honda's aren't in the same range as the VW, my parents would be better off with the VW IMHO.

Called the Honda dealer. Boy, do these guys know their facts and are polite (can't say that about Leith or Southern States VW).... they said Honda decided to sell it with the Acura brand first to see how well it does. They said they do not anticipate an Accord with the same engine until the 2010-2011 time frame, but he said you never know. They might put it in the late 2009 lineup.

It's a JDM/Euro Honda Accord, but we know this car as the Acura TSX.

Check out the UK Honda site (notice the tourer/wagon).
http://www.honda.co.uk/car/accord/saloon/

If the US gets a diesel Accord, it will be the US-spec car in addition to the TSX.

I am really not sure how many people will be in the market for a $30,000 diesel. IMO VW is the only on that got it somewhat right with the <$25,000 offerings..

And no way the Subaru will get the Jetta fuel efficiency with AWD... Unless something i am missing.

Bayou_Flyer said:

It's a JDM/Euro Honda Accord, but we know this car as the Acura TSX.

Check out the UK Honda site (notice the tourer/wagon).
http://www.honda.co.uk/car/accord/saloon/

If the US gets a diesel Accord, it will be the US-spec car in addition to the TSX.

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Ah well that makes sense.

The scary part, though, is that VW has had Diesels on this market for the better part of 30 years, Mercedes Benz probably even longer. Nevertheless, having the dealerships service these vehicles appears to be a crap shoot.

I am wondering whether Honda or Subaru techs will be quicker on the uptake than many of their VW colleagues. The Diesel passenger car segment in the US is a niche market (perhaps slightly larger of a percentage in Canada) and, let's face it, most consumers rely on the dealer to service the vehicles. The dealer's screwups will become the car's fault and, by extension, the fault of the "unreliable" diesel technology. "Yeah, we all knew why we always bought gassers, don't we? Nooo-One we know ever trusted one of them Deee-zels."

I sincerely hope that the wider availability of diesels will enhance their appeal, but I am holding my breath if the maintenance and repair segment does not shape up..

IMHO, there has to be a good offering of average-budget, entry-model diesels to make them more appealing.
I see VW perhaps doing that, but the others?

Too late

Other than the VW wagon, the Subaru really interests me. Sadly, VW won't have what I want in stock (at least without a mandatory dealer price inflation) and the Subaru is not available...and I've started to look for a new ride.

Did Mahindra change their mind?

I didn't see Mahindra on that list and was wondering whether they were overlooked, or whether they changed their mind about bringing their diesel powered small/intermediate pickup to the USA? Anybody know for sure?

Dan

The completeness of any listing in an article is only as complete as the research that the goes into it. Mahindra's missing from the list is probably not intentional, but just overlooked. Manufacturer announcements of product availability are always in states of flux, and looking 1, 2- or more years into the future adds more uncertainty whether commitments will be kept. One cannot underestimate the huge logistical and regulatory challenges of bring a new vehicle model into the North American market, especially for an unknown, obscure brand (in North America) and a ground-up dealer network. I wish Mahindra sincere luck.

It has been reported that Mahindra is delaying U.S. introduction of its Diesel/hybrid SUV.

kcfoxie said:

So is it an Accord or an Acura? It seems like no one really knows. The last article that I read said it was a Euro Acrua TSX that was going to be badged as a Honda Accord, and the photo of the test vehicle in NYC had a Honda logo.

It's kind of important, as my parents are more keep to purchase a new Honda/Acura product over a VW product due to perceived reliability.

update: called an Acura dealer and they said there will be a diesel TSX in 2009 but no pricing or availability has been released on it yet. But it is coming. The current year models are $29k to $32k in price... that's um, a lot more than a VW. If the Honda's aren't in the same range as the VW, my parents would be better off with the VW IMHO.

Called the Honda dealer. Boy, do these guys know their facts and are polite (can't say that about Leith or Southern States VW).... they said Honda decided to sell it with the Acura brand first to see how well it does. They said they do not anticipate an Accord with the same engine until the 2010-2011 time frame, but he said you never know. They might put it in the late 2009 lineup.

Click to expand...

I'd be comfortable with an Acura diesel product even though the dealership would need to train techs. VW has had diesels in country on and off over the years but I don't feel that their service dept and techs are uber knowledgeable.

I need a diesel for my wife. Unfortunately, because she is required to get a UAW/CAW car, the only choice, the Cherokee, defeats the purpose. Crap.

hmm...

lojasmo said:

I need a diesel for my wife. Unfortunately, because she is required to get a UAW/CAW car, the only choice, the Cherokee, defeats the purpose. Crap.

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why is that?

CAW = Canadian Auto Workers Union
UAW = United Auto Workers Union

lojasmo said:

I need a diesel for my wife. Unfortunately, because she is required to get a UAW/CAW car, the only choice, the Cherokee, defeats the purpose. Crap.

Click to expand...

Does it help any that the Puebla plant is unionized?

For what it's worth...

tdisedanman said:

I'd be comfortable with an Acura diesel product even though the dealership would need to train techs. VW has had diesels in country on and off over the years but I don't feel that their service dept and techs are uber knowledgeable.

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Local Acura dealer told me yesterday that Diesel TSX (Euro Accord) will be here in May 2009.

obie84 said:

Local Acura dealer told me yesterday that Diesel TSX (Euro Accord) will be here in May 2009.

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The diesel TSX looks to be the second 4 cylinder diesel that is confirmed to go on sale. There hasn't been much of confirmation for any other 4 cylinder diesels. Of course the price will likely be 5-10,000 more than the Jettas.

What this basically says is that VWoA only has so long to keep screwing the pooch on their Hurricane Katrina marketing of the 09 Jetta TDI. If you boys ain't willing to do it right - someone else will.
Honda just has to dump the engine into the Accord (which will shave $ difference down), publicize the Tax rebate and then make deliveries to people who order cars- the part VWoA can't get right. Hey the good part is they'll have these great powerpoint slides of everything VWoA did wrong to ensure they get it right.
The better product won't win the day if it gets enough bananna peels strewn in front of it. If VWoA stops running a bananna plantation and starts selling cars- Who knows, with just the tiniest attention to marketing VWoA could actually watch the competition recede in the rear view mirror of a car with their own badge on it, maybe even a mythical '09 TDI.

chewy said:

The diesel TSX looks to be the second 4 cylinder diesel that is confirmed to go on sale. There hasn't been much of confirmation for any other 4 cylinder diesels. Of course the price will likely be 5-10,000 more than the Jettas.

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The thing is, Honda doesn't appear to want to sell a diesel Accord (the full size 194 inch one) Honda has no problems selling 40,000+ each month with the 21/31 4 cylinder Accord, or the 19/29 V6 version. How many people (besides VW abandoners) woudl get really excited about fuel economy no better than what the Jetta TDI gets.

Yes, an Accord with fuel economy better than a Civic sounds like an excellent idea. But, the US market generally doesn't follow this reasoning, and Honda knows the US market very well.

buckeye96 said:

What numbers are optimistic? The subaru numbers are below what the car is getting in the UK (even with the imperial gallon conversion). The audi and Benz seem low and the honda hwy mileage is the only one that seems high.

In fact looking at the Subaru numbers and converting them they match up almost exactly.

Click to expand...

Seems like all cars carry a better MPG rating in Europe than in NA.

Either:

The European driving cycle EPA numbers are more optimistic than what we used to have here in the states.

or cars are made differently in some way that allows better mpg - perhaps gearing, emissions, weight, or all of the above.

Whatever. I would bet that when that Acura TSX gets here, it will carry something like 28 city, 35 highway. As frustrating and disappointing as that is, it would be par for the course.

jvance said:

Does it help any that the Puebla plant is unionized?

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Unfortunately, no. She needs an American or Canadian assembled UAW/CAW car.

She is a political organizer, and needs an American (or Canadian) made UAW/CAW car in order to get reimbersed.

obie84 said:

Local Acura dealer told me yesterday that Diesel TSX (Euro Accord) will be here in May 2009.

Click to expand...

Sweet ..... perfect timing for a reliable 55mpg four door sedan ....! And the TSX is a sweet ride indeed!

Likely will get an EPA rating of 29 city and 40 highway. Sound familiar.

This comes from Business Week:




The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have

Ford's Fiesta ECOnetic gets an astonishing 65 mpg, but the carmaker can't afford to sell it in the U.S.

The ECOnetic will go on sale in Europe in November

by David Kiley
This Issue

September 15, 2008



Related Items

• Slide Show: Americans Might Like These Fuel-Sipping Cars

// '); } // ]]> //


If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs.
Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.
Automakers such as Volkswagen (VLKAY) and Mercedes-Benz (DAI) have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.
Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the U.S. market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. Taxes aimed at commercial trucks mean diesel costs anywhere from 40 cents to $1 more per gallon than gasoline. Add to this the success of the Toyota Prius, and you can see why only 3% of cars in the U.S. use diesel. "Americans see hybrids as the darling," says Global Insight auto analyst Philip Gott, "and diesel as old-tech."
None of this is stopping European and Japanese automakers, which are betting they can jump-start the U.S. market with new diesel models. Mercedes-Benz by next year will have three cars it markets as "BlueTec." Even Nissan (NSANY) and Honda, which long opposed building diesel cars in Europe, plan to introduce them in the U.S. in 2010. But Ford, whose Fiesta ECOnetic compares favorably with European diesels, can't make a business case for bringing the car to the U.S.
TOO PRICEY TO IMPORT

First of all, the engines are built in Britain, so labor costs are high. Plus the pound remains stronger than the greenback. At prevailing exchange rates, the Fiesta ECOnetic would sell for about $25,700 in the U.S. By contrast, the Prius typically goes for about $24,000. A $1,300 tax deduction available to buyers of new diesel cars could bring the price of the Fiesta to around $24,400. But Ford doesn't believe it could charge enough to make money on an imported ECOnetic.
Ford plans to make a gas-powered version of the Fiesta in Mexico for the U.S. So why not manufacture diesel engines there, too? Building a plant would cost at least $350 million at a time when Ford has been burning through more than $1 billion a month in cash reserves. Besides, the automaker would have to produce at least 350,000 engines a year to make such a venture profitable. "We just don't think North and South America would buy that many diesel cars," says Fields.
The question, of course, is whether the U.S. ever will embrace diesel fuel and allow automakers to achieve sufficient scale to make money on such vehicles. California certified VW and Mercedes diesel cars earlier this year, after a four-year ban. James N. Hall, of auto researcher 293 Analysts, says that bellwether state and the Northeast remain "hostile to diesel." But the risk to Ford is that the fuel takes off, and the carmaker finds itself playing catch-up—despite having a serious diesel contender in its arsenal.
Kiley is a senior correspondent in BusinessWeek's Detroit bureau.

At 65mpg, this beats VW pretty badly.

At 65mpg, this beats VW pretty badly.

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No it doesn't. First, that's Imperial gallons. Second, that's Euro cycle not EPA. I doubt it would get much better under the EPA methodology than the Jetta TDI.

EDIT - no, wait, that's US mpg in the combined, not highway cycle. Pretty impressive. EPA numbers will be lower but still impressive.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/23/british-motor-show-ford-fiesta-econetic-63-5-mpg-us/

That's extremely impressive. I think Ford's reluctance (or refusal) to bring this to the US is pretty telling. Americans don't want diesels. It's going to take a familiar and widely desired vehicle like an Accord or Camry to make waves in reintroducing the diesel.