BMW and Honda Slated to Bring Diesel to North American Markets by 2007

Volkswagen Currently Sells Forty Percent of Vehicles with Diesel Power in Canada

It only makes sense that automakers which already produce and sell fuel efficient diesel powertrains in other markets

Forty percent of new Volkswagens sold in Canada are diesel powered. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

bring them to North America once higher quality diesel fuel is made available here; the latter slated for 2007.

Currently, forty percent of new Volkswagens sold in Canada are diesel powered, labeled with the now revered TDI badge. The German automaker's flagship SUV, the Touareg, features a top-line 310-horsepower V10 turbodiesel with an awe inspiring 553 lb-ft of torque available at a low 2,000 rpm, making the sizeable SUV capable of better performance from zero to 100 km/h than its V8-powered gasoline version.

The Touareg's V10, and other modern direct-injection, common-rail turbodiesel powerplants are changing North American's perceptions about the engine type, with those adapting to the alternative fuel, for its lower emissions and improvements in fuel efficiency,

Mercedes-Benz is the automaker with the longest record of offering diesel engines in the North American market. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

also benefiting from enhanced performance and relatively quiet operation.

Volkswagen isn't the only purveyor of diesel-powered vehicles, with Mercedes-Benz being the automaker with the longest record of offering diesel engines in the North American market.

Preparing for the new cleaner fuel coming shortly, DaimlerChrysler's Jeep division began offering its new four-cylinder turbodiesel in its updated 2005 Liberty late last year, and with close to 300 lb-ft of torque on hand the compact 4x4 capable SUV has become a popular vehicle to purchase.