New dawn for diesel cars? DaimlerChrysler will add a diesel engine to its Jeep Liberty sold in the U.S. in 2004; other automakers mulling plans - Industry News

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Feb, 2003 by Brent Haight

When it comes to diesel passenger vehicles in North America, to date, the choices have been Volkswagen, Volkswagen or Volkswagen. The German automaker currently offers diesel versions of its Jetta, Jetta wagon and Golf, and has plans to offer diesel Beetles.

But while the number of North American diesel cars won't match those in Europe anytime in the foreseeable future, things are beginning to happen and automakers are beginning to test the waters. Ford and GM both have admitted making plans to introduce passenger diesels in North America, but the timing and details are scarce. For now, both are concentrating on their heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks. And while one could argue that the 325 hp 2003 Ford Super Duty F-250/350 King Ranch Edition pickup is a passenger vehicle, it may not be the most practical vehicle for carpooling your daughter's Brownie Troop.

Among those determined to market diesel cars in North America in the near future, DaimlerChrysler is clearly the most aggressive. The company will introduce a diesel Mercedes-Benz E Class 320, and in a move intended to encourage North American acceptance of diesel passenger vehicles, Daimler- Chrysler will offer a diesel version of its popular Jeep Liberty SUV in 2004.

Available to consumers in the U.S. and Canada, the diesel Jeep Liberty will be powered by a 2.8 L, common rail turbodiesel engine produced by DaimlerChrysler. The engine will be manufactured in Italy at the former VM Motori plant.

The diesel Liberty will be available with a manual or automatic transmission, as well as two- or four-wheel drive. According to DaimlerChrysler, it is expected that the diesel-powered Liberty will have up to a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy versus a comparable gasoline-powered model.

DaimlerChrysler will offer 5000 vehicles in the first year and more may follow, depending on how they are accepted.

"We believe that in North America, clean diesel technology can and should play an important role in meeting two important goals: reducing oil consumptions and reducing [CO.sub.2] emissions," said Dieter Zetsche, president and CEO of Chrysler Group. "We are continuing to work on and develop and research other technologies as well. The reality is that interim solutions like hybrid vehicles are not yet commercially viable and so-called full function battery electric vehicles never will be. Fuel cell vehicles, the most promising long-term solution, still carries significant price premiums over conventional vehicles.

"But clean, lean-burning diesels are available now and offer significant benefits over similar gas-powered vehicles in the short term. They can improve fuel economy by up to 30 percent and reduce [CO.sub.2] emissions by an average of 20 percent and still provide smooth, reliable, gas engine-like performance.

"These are benefits so compelling that even the sometimes skeptical California Air Resource Board leadership is stepping back to take another look at the potential part the diesel engine and its technology can play in passenger vehicles, as well they should," added Zetsche. "According to a study conducted by the Diesel Technology Forum, if the U.S. had a mix of diesel power and gasoline-powered vehicles similar to Europe, we would save 100 million gallons of oil per year in California alone. The U.S. total would reduce oil consumption by no less than 800 million gallons of oil and reduce [CO.sub.2] emissions by 8 million pounds per year."

While use of diesels in passenger vehicles is widespread in Europe, in the U.S., one of the first hurdles in increasing its popularity is overcoming consumer memories of earlier attempts to bring diesel passenger vehicles to the U.S.

"Unfortunately, in the U.S., outside of heavy-duty trucks and pickup trucks, consumers have a very dated image of diesels, largely based on some ill-fated attempts in the '80s to introduce diesel passenger cars," said Zetsche. "The technology of the time left a bad taste to many, and many bad memories of smoky, smelly, clatter-trap cars.

"Diesels are nor for everyone. But they could be practical alternatives for millions of people and significant attributors to our quest for clean air and more fuel efficient vehicles. The best way to show our commitment to diesels is to bring a modern, clean diesel to this market, and that is what we intend to do."