Diesel
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A body made of lightweight composite panels, LED lighting, a high-efficiency four-cylinder diesel engine and easily-repaired molded fenders may sound like the ideal basis for a fuel-efficient commuter car, but in this case it’s the latest prototype delivery truck being evaluated by UPS. The delivery company has rolled out five such trucks in four cities, each with a different testing purpose behind them. Flint, Michigan, is getting a prototype, since Flint has long, urban routes and is located close to Isuzu’s powertrain division. Isuzu builds the four-cylinder diesel engines used...
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LED Lights For This Year's Audi R18 TDI Le Mans Racer
Audi is at the forefront of LED lighting on road cars, and the German maker is now ready to reap the benefits in racing too. The company has announced that it intends to use LED lighting technology on its 2011 Le Mans contender, the R18 TDI. The new closed-cockpit racer, designed with the intention...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Volkswagen Beetle: New, Retro, Tech-Laden
The Volkswagen New Beetle has had a good life - launched in 1998, it's carried on for the past thirteen years virtually unchanged. Okay, so that's not quite as impressive as the original, known variously as the Volkswagen, Type 1, Beetle, Bug, Käfer and many more names throughout the world...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Jaguar XF Development Mule Sports New 2.2-Liter Diesel
Official "spy shots" released today by Jaguar show a 2012 XF development mule packing a new 2.2-liter diesel engine. While we won't likely be seeing the oil-burner here in the U.S., the images are still relevant to what we may soon be seeing on our roads. Wrapped in swirly camouflage vinyl, it's...
Nelson Ireson -
Official: Jeep Grand Cherokee To Get New Diesel At Geneva Motor Show
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is no stranger to diesel power, though the last we saw it here in the U.S. was in 2008. Unlike the previous Daimler-sourced unit, the next diesel in the Jeep Grand Cherokee will be built by VM Motori. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be getting it here in the U.S...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Mercedes-Benz C-Class, GLK Diesels In U.S. Due By 2012
Mercedes has been talking about a diesel GLK and C-Class in the U.S. since at least 2008. There's even the possibility they'll be built in the company's Alabama plant. The timeline has largely been aimed at 2012-2013 for U.S. construction and sale, though before the market crash of 2008, there were...
Nelson Ireson -
If the 20th Century was all about improvements in safety and performance for the motor car, the 21st Century see these criteria joined by efficiency. We're seeing a phoenix-like rise by the electric car, and manufacturers are finally taking steps to reduce vehicle weight, improve aerodynamics and the humble combustion engine is being tuned for ever greater efficiency. Volkswagen's speciality lies in diesel engine technology. Europe is awash with Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG) diesel cars and both VW and Audi have impressive clean diesels on sale in the U.S. Volkswagen is now previewing its most...
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Audi A4 TDI Achieves 53.46 MPG In European Combined Cycle
While most automakers are looking to hybrid and electric vehicle technology to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, Audi remains adamant that its TDI diesel technology has a secure future and with cars like this new A4 TDI it’s easy to see why. The automaker has just announced for the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Bentley Says Diesels A No-Go, Won't Sell In U.S., Japan
Back in 2008 rumors that Bentley was planning a hyperlux diesel were rampant, and since then, there's been a steady whisper that it might yet come to pass, especially with Volkswagen's corporate parentage. But a new interview with powertrain chief Brian Gush reveals that a diesel Bentley very...
Nelson Ireson -
Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4: World’s First Production Diesel Hybrid
France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen group plans to take on the hybrid market in coming years with new diesel-electric hybrid technology, the first of which will be appearing in the new Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 due in the spring of 2011 in Europe. The technology, dubbed HYbrid4, has already been...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Mitsubishi Evo XI May Go Diesel-Hybrid
Not so long ago the idea of a hybrid powertrain in a sports car was anathema to enthusiasts. But after the development of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for Formula One, the debut of cars like the Tesla Roadster and Audi's all-electric R8 e-tron concept and the wider acceptance of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Make Your MINI Diesel Sound Like A V-8
Several firms including Lotus are working on technologies to synthesize the sound of a rumbling engine so that silent running cars like hybrids and electric vehicles can be made safer for those with poor vision. While this could be as simple as playing a sound of an engine running, BMW is now...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The new 535i with the N55 engine may get a 535d companion soon.
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Driven: 2010 Audi A3 TDI
A base A3 2.0 TDI FWD S-Tronic runs $29,950. The VW Golf TDI we recently tested runs $23,090. In the review of that car we mentioned how the $7k discount for the Golf might be the way to go. After all, you can’t get this flavor of Audi with quattro AWD, which would differentiate the Audi diesel...
Michael Frank -
BMW To Supply Diesel Engines For Carbon Motors Police Cars
In what is sure to go down as one of the strangest partnerships of the year, BMW has signed a deal with American law enforcement vehicle manufacturer Carbon Motors to supply it with more than 240,000 diesel engines. The agreement calls for delivery of BMW inline six-cylinder turbodiesel engines...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Spy Shots: 2011 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
We have a fairly good idea of what the new 2011 Porsche Cayenne look likes, thanks to a couple of official leaks and some revealing spy shots, but in less than two weeks all will finally be revealed as the new SUV makes its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The regular gasoline models will...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
AMG Mulls Diesel Models
In 2013 AMG will launch an all-electric SLS, but before that we could see a diesel model sprung forth from the Affalterbach-based tuner.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW Bringing Four-Cylinder Diesels To U.S.
Some of the BMW models that could get four-cylinder engines include the 3- and 5-Series sedans as well as the X3 and X5 SUVs.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The high-tech diesels were once thought to supplant the need for hybrids, but now it looks like they'll complement them.
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Volvo Will Bring Diesels And Plug-in Hybrids To U.S.
Volvo’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle will go on sale in Europe by 2012.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Mercedes-Benz C-Class, GLK Won't See U.S. Production
The news confirms a report from mid-2008.
Nelson Ireson -
Audi Boss Promises More Diesels For U.S.
Audi’s U.S. chief predicts that 20 to 25% of the company’s North American sales will eventually be diesel.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 Audi A3 TDI Priced From $29,950
The new diesel hatch is Audi's latest oil-burning offering here in the States.
Nelson Ireson -
Across The Pond: 2010 Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion Promises 54 MPG
The new 2010 BlueMotion range will make its debut later this month at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran