New American Diesel Cars Better Gas Mileage from Diesel Cars

Diesel Cars Coming to America

Bruce Sheridan

Gas or diesel

Many people in America don't have a clear understanding of new diesel vehicles and their potential as one of the best alternatives for fuel efficient cars. Many people only see big rigs with giant smoke fumes when they think of diesel, but like almost every other aspect of automotive technology, diesel engines have come a very long way.

When you find great deals on cars that get good gas mileage, you would be pretty happy to find a vehicle that gets over 40 mpg on the highway. That seems to be the big gas mileage benchmark for new cars. What if someone told you there was a very affordable car on the market right now that gets over 60 mpg?

European exclusive

Unfortunately, this car is the Ford ECOnetic Fiesta, which comes strapped with a 1.6L turbocharged diesel engine. If you live in the States, don't bother looking at a local dealership. This car is a Europe only model.

Diesel engines are huge in Europe, and account for about half of all auto sales in the entire continent. The notion that diesel gives off too much pollution and is an unreliable fuel source is comical in this day and age, especially in Europe.

So what's the deal, why aren't more car makers offering these super efficient vehicles in America? After all, just about half the gas stations you see have a diesel pump, so what's the hold up?

The short answer is that even though the demand for cars with high gas mileage has never been greater, it's not economically viable just yet to tap the American market. There are many factors in play, including the fluctuating economy and differences in emission standards. The demand is there however, and the wheels are turning to change all of this.

Red, white and blue diesel

Auto makers like Volkswagen and Mercedes have already been offering some diesel engine vehicles in America, but GM may be the first of many to offer a popular and affordable $20000 diesel car.

GM announced they are building the first American built diesel car with a European based engine, the Chevy Cruze Diesel. The current diesel Cruze is the best selling international car that Chevy has, and the new American 2.0L clean turbo diesel Cruze is speculated to be as fuel sipping as its European counterpart, which will push it above 50 mpg.

Diesel vehicles look very promising, and judging by the speed that the automotive industry moves, we will probably see many more of them in America in the years to come.

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