Take a trip to Europe and you will find that the diesel is common among passenger cars. Travel back to the US and you will find only one viable choice, the VW Passett TDI. Many US consumers remember the failed passenger car diesels of the past and shudder with fear. However, rising gas prices and pressure by the Federal Government on car makers to improve their overall fleet MPG has many manufacturers turning the eyes back to the old sparkless wonder. Sources within GM hint at a diesel powered Chevy Cruze (shown below) sometime around 2013. Already sold in Europe the diesel powered Cruze averages around 50 MPG on the highway. Even closer to fruition, Mazda has plans to pair their Sky-D diesel engine to the Mazda 6 sometime around 2012. Fuel mileage estimates for the diesel powered 6 range from 33 city to 43 highway. The Sky-D already meets US emission regulations placing Mazda well ahead of competitors. Not bad for a midsize passenger car. It will only take the mild success of Chevy or Mazda to convince other car makers to follow the diesel highway to green dollars.
Image Source: GM