Right now, more than 60% of all vehicles sold in Europe are diesel-powered. Got that? 60% of ALL vehicles, cars and trucks alike, are diesel-powered. These modern-day direct-injection turbo-diesels are fast, quiet, comfortable, responsive and in many cases cleaner than even their gasoline variants. Many of these same diesels are heading for the US, and several car-makers (VW, M-B, Audi, Peugeot and several others) are just beginning their marketing campaigns to educate Americans about these new-generation engines and the cars and trucks which they power. Audi and Peugeot using diesel engines in their endurance race cars is part of that marketing; Audi dominated the major endurance races last season, in the US and Europe, Audi winning the "12 Hours of Sebring", the "24 Hours of LeMans" and many other events. (Photo - Mercedes-Benz M-class ML63 AMG, one of the new "high-performance" diesel-powered SUVs).
For many of today's Americans, the first diesel-powered cars they ever saw (or smelled) were Mercedes-Benz diesels from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s; apart from those cars, big-rig trucks and busses of all sorts carried the "diesel" banner in the US. In the late-'70s and early '80s, General Motors went on a diesel binge which most American car-buyers still remember, or, if they are too young to remember, they've heard about the near decade-long debacle from older friends, relatives and car enthusiast magazines. Between 1978 and 1985, GM used engine blocks made for gasoline engines in building diesels; the idea was to allow Americans to enjoy the lower prices of diesel fuel and the higher mileage and longer engine life which diesels were said to offer. If an American had traveled in Europe, they they might even be more likely to buy one of the new GM diesel-equipped cars; mostly available in Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs. How serious was GM about diesels? In 1985, there was talk inside of GM about making a diesel engine available for the Chevrolet Corvette!
(Photo - Audi's R10 V12 turbo-diesel race car leads the 2007 "24 Hours of Lemans" and went on to win that race).
There have been several major breakthroughs in diesel engine technology in recent years, and these new diesels, the ones coming to America in large numbers beginning later this year, are all of the new "high-tech" diesel generation. Here's what Mercedes-Benz was showing and talking about (in their own words in the following graphs) at the 2008 NY International Auto Show:
Mercedes-Benz is continuing its diesel passenger car initiative in the USA with three new SUVs equipped with the world’s latest and cleanest diesel engine. The new models R 320 BlueTEC, ML 320 BlueTEC and GL 320 BlueTEC will initially be available exclusively in America.
They are powered by a cutting-edge V6 engine featuring the environmentally friendly BlueTEC technology developed by Mercedes-Benz, with whose help the diesel models produced by the Stuttgart manufacturer already count as the world’s cleanest. The new SUVs are equipped with AdBlue injection, which has already been demonstrating its exemplary effectiveness and economy in Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses for a number of years.
As a result, the three new models achieve even lower emissions, are able to undercut the stringent Bin 5 limits applicable in the USA thanks to their highly efficient AdBlue exhaust aftertreatment system, and also have the potential to meet the coming EU6 standards. (Photo - Peugeot's turbo-diesel race car competes for the first time at the "12 Hours of Sebring" endurance event in Florida, March, 2008).
In addition, all three of these new SUVs have also been significantly upgraded with much more extensive
standard equipment, and now offer even more comfort together with unique safety features. Accordingly, first-class environmental credentials and outstanding comfort are paired with the already legendary power, economy and operating range of Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles.
With this pioneering achievement, Mercedes-Benz is once again underlining its status as a technological leader. The new diesel cars with BlueTEC technology and AdBlue injection will be available in the USA starting in autumn, 2008.
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