To you and I, there's one more advantage of switching over to direct injection; price. PD-TDI motors require one unit injector per cylinder,
which quickly adds up on the bottom line. By switching to common rail, prices should fall, helping ease the burden of opting for diesel at purchase. Currently, a TDI-powered Golf or Jetta costs between $1,650 and $2,000 CAD more than a regular gasoline-powered model.
Recently, VW announced that it would be postponing the TDI version of the latest Passat indefinitely. While the new Jetta diesel, only one cubic foot smaller than the outgoing Passat, offers something to these disenfranchised diesel buyers for the interim, VW may change
its mind sooner than later, given the news of the switchover, and might also open the door to more powerful diesel for entry level vehicles.
Hopefully VW's commitment to diesel technology will be enough to continue developing and producing diesel technology for years to come. The adaptation of the common rail fuel delivery system should solve the forthcoming issue of meeting global emissions regulations. It should also help emissions pressure, allowing diesels to be sold in North America, and open the doors on a few states which have currently banned diesels - California, Maine, and Wisconsin, to name a few.
Here in Canada, TDIs currently make up 40 percent of VW's sales, so getting diesel power past the 2007 regulations is really a matter of survival. No doubt, VW will achieve its objectives.
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| Recently, VW announced that it would be postponing the TDI version of the latest Passat indefinitely. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada) |
Recently, VW announced that it would be postponing the TDI version of the latest Passat indefinitely. While the new Jetta diesel, only one cubic foot smaller than the outgoing Passat, offers something to these disenfranchised diesel buyers for the interim, VW may change
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| Here in Canada, TDIs currently make up 40 percent of VW's sales, so getting diesel power past the 2007 regulations is really a matter of survival. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
Hopefully VW's commitment to diesel technology will be enough to continue developing and producing diesel technology for years to come. The adaptation of the common rail fuel delivery system should solve the forthcoming issue of meeting global emissions regulations. It should also help emissions pressure, allowing diesels to be sold in North America, and open the doors on a few states which have currently banned diesels - California, Maine, and Wisconsin, to name a few.
Here in Canada, TDIs currently make up 40 percent of VW's sales, so getting diesel power past the 2007 regulations is really a matter of survival. No doubt, VW will achieve its objectives.