Volkswagen of America Is Into A Diesel Future

I've got no problem with diesels. A lot of Americans don't get them at all, but to me, they've always seemed like a viable option. Just ask anyone who's gotten their ass stomped by Audi (or most recently Peugeot) at Le Mans over the past few runnings. Yeah, those cars are diesels.

So the news that Volkswagen of America is getting into the whole diesel engine option thing sounds like good news to me. When VW relaunched the 50-state legal Jetta TDI in America in late 2008, diesels have been a major part of the German companies sales here. VW CEO Stefan Jacoby said that he expects new diesel introductions to account for a 20-30 percent share of each model that comes to market.

As far as the TDI version of the Jetta is specifically concerned, it has accounted for 30 to 40 percent of all Jetta sales since it was launched and nearly all Jetta Sportwagens are oil burners. And similar numbers can also be laid at the feet of the Volkswagen Touareg TDI. Diesels account for over one-third of the SUV's sales.

And VW is looking for that trend to continue in the near future. There will be a redesigned Jetta, with a TDi option, headed our way as well as a new Tennessee-built mid-sized car that will also feature a diesel option. Oh, and that luxury Phaeton? When/if it returns to the U.S. it too will have a TDI plant option.

Of course, even the Volkswagen diesels come at a premium, just like their German counterparts from Mercedes-Benz and Audi. VW has been asking for, and getting a typical price bonus of $2,000 over a similarly equipped gas-engined model.

But hey, I still like the idea. Now all we need if for a strong TDi aftermarket to get built up over here in The New World, and there could be a lot more fun that could, potentially, be a lot more guilt free. Just how fast could you make a bio-diesel car run?

Source: AutoBlogGreen