Bad interiors blah blah, the japanese could get 1/2 more DonkeyPower from that displacement blah blah blah.. .it will handle like crapp blah blah... GW Bush... oil... Iraq... children burned by Napalm... you are typical arrogant americans blah blah...ZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZ

Why does Europe get all the diesel powered cars??! We need more of them over here.

Alex:

Why does Europe get all the diesel powered cars??! We need more of them over here.

Because in Europe, Diesel is cheaper, more accepted, every single gas station has Diesel, people care more about fuel economy, Nitrogen emissions are excessive in US (or whatever is holding Diesels in US back...) and last but not least US is a country with a Texas oil company owner as president waging wars for gas...

It's obviously intended to get some nice fuel economy I wonder what those figures are like? I could see based on size, engine and configuration 0~60 in 6~6.5 seconds, 18~22 city and 26~32 highway MPG?

Curious to see the full spec's now, but it could work out well.

SVT talks nonsense. Here in Europe diesel was always closely connected to the industry, this caused the use of diesel in "regular" cars. For example, why do you think truck drivers (in Europe for example) always have diesel cars? Because when they fill their truck tanks a little goes to their personal cars (and good for them, their bosses already have plenty of money), and lets not forget that diesel for industry is subsidized by most European governments and that makes it even more attactive. I say truck drivers but i could say the same about delivery companies, farmers (tractors etc), corporate executives using the companies car, etc, etc.

Diesel engines were always considered reliable, dependable and economic but also kind of "crappy" because of noise, exhaust fumes, smell, the fact that diesel is kind of messy when filling up and the gas station, the power characteristics of diesel engines, etc...But in the last decade the diesel engines had massive progress and this caused them to become more "mainstream". In the US the industry never adopted diesel as its prefered fuel and the strict polution legislation on some states made things even worst. I beleive the US will adopt diesel engines soon but the US also needs the infrastructures to produce diesel at the refineries.

I believe we have a pretty good diesel infrastructure in the US. Trucking is the largest way in which goods are shipped, all of which run on diesel. Obviously if a good chunk of cars switched over from gas it would strain it, but I think it would be possible to get by.
@svt, I cant say I've ever been to a gas station that doesnt have diesel??! (though pretty much every gas station around here also has E85, so perhaps im special) Alot of larger trucks have diesels (F250/350's, 2500 chevys ect) so it makes sense for gas stations already to be carrying diesel. I just think there is some sort of mental thing we need to get over to really accept small cars/trucks with diesels. The average large truck gets 300k+ miles no problem with a diesel, semi's run 1million between overhauls, its a pretty big advantage. Though the Manufacturers make most of their money on the repairs, so perhaps thats the problem...

The American consumer is not at fault.

US emissions regulations are at fault. The cars that can pass emissions in the US have very expensive emissions controls, thereby negating any cost benefit in owning a diesel.

Oil is used to produce both gasoline and diesel fuel. I don't see any reason the oil companies would have to force people into gasoline other than their refineries are already set up for gasoline

The European government doesn't subsidize any fuel, it's all taxed at 3-4 dollars a gallon. Diesel is taxed at a lower rate than gasoline. Businesses might get a tax break...

In 2007, diesels were 53% of new car registrations in Europe, so it's obviously mainstream.

@Alex,

Dont think that you are going to get the same life spam from the semi trucks in your little sports car diesel engine (or even small truck,). The both run on diesel but are built completly diferently.

just an example, a 4.5 litter diesel for small truck my get as high as 350hp (maybe more), while a 12litter semi engine gets 500hp...

Semi engines are overbuilt and underpowered to play on the safe side and last longer...

Dont get me wrong, i love diesel cars, but these ultra high tech diesels that you get in cars or small truck these days are nowhere as durable as the ones in big trucks an semis. but they are comparable to gas ones though, so, thats what matters..

why dose christler employs people hell bent on not doing the right thing even if it hurts there own company.

the preference of trucks using diesel is technological and economic.
1, huge torque without the high rpms
2. durability and reliability, fewer moving parts.
3. cheap fuel and efficient engine.

in US, if you have cheap gasoline, why bother with a diesel, if the engine costs higher, polluting, noisy, stinks, low in horsepower, and use the vehicle for not that long distances.
simply, if you have huge and heavy vehicle....
get a diesel, it makes more sense.

To Adrian,

The irony to this all is that U.S. car manufacturers create huge and heavy vehicles generation after generation - more so than their European and Asian counterparts. Case in point, the newest CTS-V will tip the scales at 4300 pounds (which is why it needed the 550hp engine). Thanks, but no thanks...I'll stick with my late model RS4, which tips the scales at 3900 pounds--with 4wd.

While I agree that that the U.S. consumer attitude and gasoline prices disrupt diesel's popularity, we'll be forced-fed diesel cars as they get heavier.

Wow, I'm impressed! Only three posts this time before Mr. Yur O. Centric blames everything on Bush!

Let's go over the truth again:
1. Emissions regulations are more strict in the US (even more strict of 2008), making diesel engines difficult to produce and nearly cost-prohibitive to place in cars (no posts please about VW, they're having troubles producing the required "new" diesel technology as well.)
2. There is no tax advantage to diesel in the US as there is in Europe.
3. An increase in the consumer use of diesel will drive the price up, triggering inflation for anything transported by truck (which in the US is pretty much everything). This happened with the last flirtation the US had with consumer diesels in the late 70s and early 80s.

These problems are gradually being overcome in the US, but diesel will likely never reach the popularity it has in Europe. For my own part, I would love to own a hybrid diesel, and so would many other Americans.

SVT: Let’s get the facts straight. The war in the Middle East is not because of oil. It is because islam is such a f*&ked religion. When Islam becomes the dominant religion in Europe and all you whities become dhimmis (second class citizens), your women property under the sharia, you will realize that President Bush was a modern day Charlemagne holding the line against the mohammedan hordes.

woah, birgboy, i guess you get your info striaght from uncle Bush huh?

woah, birghboy, i guess you get your info straight from uncle Bush, huh? you should pick up a book once in a while.

Hmmm, hows the song go?

"But if feels so empty without me..."

Yeah, I guess I needed a comeback tour sooner than I thought.

First, don dada, what book would that be? I hate George Bush as much as the next guy (or the majority of Americans as polls show), but Eurarabia (ahem, Europe) is slowly becoming more Islamic, and there has been a rise of "honor killings" against women who behave to westernly there. Also, Muslims are demanding in some places that sharia law be allowed in local law doctrine. And for all the polls that say the majority of Muslims are "moderate," that doesn't seem to back up the reality of women being forced into the burqa. Or maybe you should read about the story of the website "boycottdubai.com." The Muslim world is a highly backwards one, my friend.

Thats why I don't leave the US much anymore: Britian is a nicer place right now, but I doubt it will be in ten years.

Second, European diesel is only cheaper for commericial users, normal drivers do not get subsidized rates (with the exception of a few places). Second, when was the last time you saw a town without diesel in the US? I've been all over this country and if I can find diesel in New York City, and in LA, and in Seattle, and in Atlanta, and (on and on), then I'm certain the infrastructure is there.

Third, this is still a shitty car, won't sell, the end.