Just a few weeks ago, we teased you about Porsche bringing its popular-in-Europe clean diesel engine to the U.S., and installing it in the Cayenne. Not only is this engine powerful, boasting 240 horsepower, 406 pound-feet of torque, and towing 7,716 pounds, but it is also economical, getting 28 mpg.
According to our colleagues over at Car and Driver, we are essentially just getting Europe’s hand-me-downs. Much like a big brother does with clothes that are too small for him, European Porsche drivers have grown out of the 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that we are just now getting and are moving into a larger engine, a full two cylinders larger that is.
Yup, Porsche will be adding in a V-8 diesel option to the Cayenne lineup in the “very near future,” according to Car and Driver’s report. It looks like the most likely and cost-effective diesel engine to offer is the Audi 4.2-liter V-8 that cranks out 346 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, given Porsche and Audi are in bed under the VW umbrella. Given how well the smaller 3.0-liter diesel performs now, this engine would make the Cayenne diesel a screamer – as much as a diesel can be a screamer. It would also thrust its towing rating toward a truck-like 10,000-pound mark.
With that said, there are also rumors afloat that another VW affiliate, Bentley, may be working directly with Porsche to develop this new diesel engine.
Now, before you start getting all excited for this large diesel engine, you can forget about it. Porsche does not appear to have any plans on bringing this larger diesel engine to the U.S. This is no surprise, as the European market is easier for Porsche to distribute to, as well as the fact that Euro drivers are accustomed to buying these clean diesels than U.S. buyers are. Maybe one day the European market will outgrow this engine and we will finally get it here, but the chances are slim.
We all understand that the European market was the first to really get nailed with high gas prices. They were paying over $5 per gallon while the U.S. market still was just cresting the $2 per gallon mark. This forced the European market to start accepting smaller and less desirable vehicles in hopes of getting better economy, while folks in the States continued to drive Hummers and other large SUVs.
Now that gas is hitting $4 per gallon, the U.S. buyers are starting to become more receptive to smaller cars with upwards of 40 mpg capabilities and hybrids cresting the 50 mpg mark. However, we are still left out in one market, the ultra economic clean diesels. The latest one is the 2012 Chevrolet Aveo, which is known as the Sonic in the U.S.
In the U.S., the highest mpg available on the Sonic is 40 mpg and that is the optional 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, which we have our doubts if any normal driver can actually hit 40 mpg in this car. In the U.K., the Aveo has several four-cylinder engine options, including a 1.2-liter gasoline, 1.3-liter diesel, 1.3-liter Eco Diesel, and a 1.4-liter. The highway fuel economy on these engines is 68.9 mpg, 83.1 mpg, 85.6 mpg, and 62.7 mpg, respectively.
None of these engines would make the Sonic a speed demon, like the relatively quick Sonic LTZ and its 1.4-liter turbo engine, but will Chevy ever bring these engine options to the U.S. market? We understand that diesel fuel is not as readily available as regular gasoline, but they certainly give the U.S. buyer an option other than hybrid or electric, which have technologies that could end up requiring rather pricy repairs in the future.
We’re not singling out Chevy here, as Ford has its ECOnetic system getting 65+ mpg in a Ford Fiesta. Our best Fiesta gets an arguable 40 mpg on the highway. Seemingly every car company has a super-Eco diesel engine in its European lineup, but we have yet to see one in the U.S. We think the time has come for one to show up.
Europeans have been driving a diesel version of the Porsche Cayenne since 2009, but now Porsche has finally decided that it was the right time for the US market to get in on the action. After being rumored for quite some time, the US version version of the Cayenne Diesel will be making its world debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
The new Cayenne Diesel is powered by an efficient 3.0-liter V6 turbo
diesel engine that delivers a total of 240 HP and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.2 seconds and can hit a top speed of 135 mph. This figures are delivered while still providing a fuel economy of 23 mpg on a combined cycle. The engine is mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission, without the Auto Start/Stop function available on other Cayenne variants.
The new Porsche Cayenne Diesel will go on sale in September 2012 at a starting price of $55,750, not including a $975 destination charge.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel.
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With fuel economy in the forefront of most drivers’ minds, Ford has announced that a new fuel sipper has gone into production. Strangely enough, Ford’s newest fuel miser is not a hybrid car; it is a diesel-powered Ford Fiesta. This diesel engine, which Ford of Europe dubbed the Duratorq TDCi engine, uses ECOnetic Technology – a series of modifications to reduce both emissions and fuel consumption. These modifications allow this Fiesta to reach new heights as the most fuel-efficient Ford car ever built, getting 3.3 liters per 100km, which equals out to 86.5 mpg.
The driving force of the ECOnetic Fiesta is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. It cranks out an acceptable 95ps (94 horsepower) and 205 Nm of torque (151 pound-feet). The Fiesta ECOnetic is definitely not a speed demon, but that is more than enough power to tinker around on any American road.
The 2013 Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is set to debut later this year, as Ford of Europe continues to lower CO2 production from its vehicles and increase fuel economy. Ford also states that about half of its European models will have ECOnetic Technology by year-end and they are committed to increasing that to two-thirds in 2013.
There is no anticipated release of ECOnetic technology in the U.S. to date, but we hope that it eventually makes its way across the pond. It’s safe to say that with the increasing price of gas, it is only a matter of time before Americans are clamoring for an 86.5 mpg Fiesta that does not have the future cost risks of a hybrid or electric car.
Click below to read more about the Fiesta’s ECOnetic Technology and Ford’s official press release.
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For about two years, it’s been rumored that Porsche was planning to offer a diesel version of their Cayenne SUV for the North American market and now, those rumors will finally be confirmed. Porsche will be headed to this year’s New York Auto Show with the American version of the Cayenne Turbo Diesel.
Just like the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7, the Cayenne Diesel will be powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine delivering a total of 240 HP and 406 lb-ft of torque. Porsche has promised that under city driving conditions, the new model will deliver a fuel economy of 20 mpg, a 5mpg improvement over the current Cayenne and Cayenne Turbo.
The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo Diesel will go on sale in America in the second half of 2012 and will be priced under the current Cayenne S hybrid, or about $65k. More details will follow closer to the car’s official debut, so stay tuned!
It’s already known that Maserati plans on bringing a new baby Quattroporte in 2013, but German magazine, Autobild, has uncovered some more news on the future model. According to them, Maserati is also preparing a diesel version for the new model, internally known as the Maseratina. The diesel version will be powered by a new V6 diesel engine with more than 300 HP and 516 lb-ft torque. It is still unknown whether or not the new engine will also be used in the next generation Quattroporte.
The new Quattroporte will be about 4.90 meters long, matching the lengths of the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes S-class. Recent spy shots have confirmed that it will feature a shorter wheelbase, smaller front brakes, an ill-fitting windscreen, and one exhaust pipe on each side of the rear. These elements will be combined with the latest advanced driver assistance systems.
The baby Quattroporte isn’t the only new model on Maserati’s to do list this year, either. The list of debuts also includes the Kubang in Autumn at the 2012 Franfurt Motor Show and the new generation Quattroporte at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. All of the GranTurismo versions are also about to enter their new generations.
Audi has unveiled the new twin-turbo V6 TDI engine in UK. This engine will be used on models like the A6 sedan and the Avant, as well as the A7 Sportback models. The new models are already on sale and prices will start from £43,810 ($69,200 at the current rates) for the A6 models and from £51,645 ($81,500 at the current rates) for the A7 Sportback.
The new V6 TDI engine has been equipped with a two-stage turbocharger group that delivers a maximum boost pressure of up to 3.2 bar. This allows the engine to deliver a total of 313 HP from 3,900-4,500rpm and a peak torque of 479 lb-ft available from 1,450 to 2,800rpm.
With this amount of power, the A6 3.0 BiTDI quattro sedan will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds and the Avant and A7 in 5.3 seconds. On all three models, the top speed is limited to 155 mph.
The new engine has been combined with technologies like start-stop and recuperation systems and the innovative thermal management system that quickly brings the coolant and oil up to their operating temperatures. With these additions, the fuel economy went up to an impressive 44.1mpg.
BMW’s dive into the diesel market included not just the M550d xDrive, but the X5 M50d as well. Just like the M550d, the SUV version is powered by the 3.0 liter six-cylinder in-line diesel engine that delivers a total of 381 HP and a peak torque of 546 lb-ft. With this amount of power, the X5 M50d will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been reported at 37.7 mpg.
Compared to a standard X5, the new M50d will be distinguished by an optimized aerodynamic balance and enhanced driving pleasure. In the space reserved for the fog-lamps, the new model has received new air intakes joined by horizontal bars painted in Ferric Grey metallic paint and race-inspired air-channeling flaps that sit below the side air intakes to optimize the car’s aerodynamic balance at high speeds. The BMW kidney grille features titanium-colored vertical bars, while the exterior mirror caps are painted in Ferric Grey metallic. The car sits on a standard set of 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design, but there are alsooptional 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in Ferric Grey metallic.
The new BMW X5 M50d will go on sale in Germany on June 16, 2012 at a price of 82,300 euro ($106,500 at the current exchange rates).
The third and last model announced by BMW M Performance Automobiles today is the X6 M50d. Just like with the M550d xDrive and the X5 M50d the X6 M50d will be making its world debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale in Germany on June 16 at a starting price of 85,800 euro ($112,800 at the current exchange rates).
The BMW X6 M50d shares the same 3.0 liter six-cylinder in-line diesel engine that delivers a total of 381 HP and a peak torque of 546 lb-ft. The SUV will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been reported at 37.7 mpg. The model has a fuel economy of 36.7 mpg.
Just like X5 M50d the space reserved for the foglamps has been replaced by new air intakes that help cooling the engine. The car gets Ferric Grey horizontal bars, race-inspired air-channeling flaps and a standard set of 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design.
BMW is doing a running jump into the diesel market by releasing a few new variations in one day. The highlight of this trio of diesels is the long-rumored M550d xDrive scheduled to appear at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. In Germany, the M550d xDrive will go on sale at a starting price of 80,800 euro ($104,500 at the current exchange rates) for the sedan and 83,750 euro ($108,400 at the current rates) for the station wagon version.
The BMW M550d xDrive is the first model to come from BMW’s latest M Performance Automobiles division and is joined by the X5 M50d and X6 M50d. All three models will share a new tri-turbo straight-six diesel engine that delivers a total of 381 HP and a peak torque of 546 lb-ft. In the M550d xDrive, this power is just enough to sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy comes in at 44.8 mpg.
UPDATE 01/26/2012: This review has been updated with the official images and specs for the BMW M550d xDrive.
UPDATE 02/29/2012: BMW has unveiled a series of almost 100 new high res images presenting the new M550d xDrive in action in different locations. Check our picture gallery to see them all!
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