Automakers have seen the future – and it looks a lot like a diesel engine. The drive for greater fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and overall safety has led many automakers to add at least one diesel-powered vehicle to its development roster.
Here are some of the oil burners you can expect to see at your local car dealership within the next two years:
- Audi. The German automaker plans to offer a V-12 diesel on its LeMans-inspired R8 sports car and perhaps its Q7 SUV as well. The 60-degree 6.0L V-12 twin variable-geometry turbo engine would be the most powerful diesel engine ever offered in a passenger vehicle.
- Dodge. The company’s popular Dodge Ram 1500 pickup is scheduled to have an optional Cummins diesel offered “after 2009.” According to Dodge, the diesel power plant will deliver 30 percent better gas mileage than a comparable gasoline-powered engine and will have an emissions output low enough to make it legal in all 50 states.
- Ford. Next year, buyers of the industry-leading F-150 pickup should be able to select either a 4.4L V-8 diesel or a 2.7L V-6 diesel. (The V-6 puts out more than 200 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque while delivering an amazing 49 mpg!)
- Honda/Acura. Honda has announced that it will introduce a new I-DTEC diesel engine later this year, one that meets the same stringent emissions standards as gas-powered vehicles. It is not yet known on what vehicles this new engine will be offered.
- Mercedes-Benz. Just last month, Mercedes unveiled its E 250 Blue Tec concept car, which features the company’s new 4-cylinder diesel engine coupled with an urea-SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system to meet new EPA emissions standards. The 2.2 liter engine is said to deliver 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque at 1600-1800 rpm. As with the Dodge Ram 1500 diesel, its new low-emissions technology will make it legal in all 50 states.
- Mitsubishi. This Japanese automaker’s entry in the diesel-powered “concept” field is the Concept-RA. It features a 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel engine said to produce 200 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Although not yet scheduled for production, the Concept-RA will no doubt lead to a similar diesel-powered product in the very near future.
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