'08 Diesel Jeeps
All righty, so here's the bad news:
You'll no longer care about the Liberty because the diesel engine is dunzo. Manager of Advanced Technology Communications for DaimlerChrysler, Nick Cappa, told Diesel Power that while the Liberty diesel is still sold in Europe (badged as the Cherokee over there), "The next phase of our long-term North American diesel strategy is the Grand Cherokee. Other vehicles are being considered, but we're taking it slow and introducing the diesel to U.S. customers in the appropriate packages." When we suggested that there already was Liberty-diesel demand, he added, "We sold much more than we expected. The Liberty diesel was a success almost to a fault, but phasing it out was part of the long-term strategy. Bringing back a Liberty diesel to North America is not in our current plan but is not impossible."
Therefore the Jeep you will care about is the Grand Cherokee. We've told you in previous issues all about the 3.0L, V-6 Bluetec diesel engine that will be available for the Limited and Overland. Additionally, the Grand will get an exterior tweak, with a longer grille and two-piece front fascia (which can be removed for four-wheeling), among the upgrades. The interior will become brighter, shinier, more ergonomic, and two-tone-ier, depending on trim level. Plus, we almost forgot to mention-this is a big year for cupholder improvements.
Have Truck, Will Backfire?
There seems to be no winning for Ford, the '08 Super Duty, and the diesel engine. The newest trouble has to do with a recall following claims of tailpipe fire (and bless YouTube for already sprouting video of these supposed events). According to Reuters, Ford is eyeballing three cases in which leaking fuel or oil apparently ignited when trapped in a diesel particulate filter before the tailpipe.
"Biodiesel has worse economics."
-A reported statement from Michele Rubino from Navigant Consulting at the Power-Gen conference regarding biodiesel versus ethanol. Among the reasons for saying as much? Regular diesel is cheaper, and biodiesel is a smaller market.
"Right now, there are tax credits for biodiesel. There are consumer tax credits. They need to be expanded, and I think we need to be beefing up the tax incentives for both the industry and consumers and also to get those pumps in, because we can have great vehicles, we can have the fuel, but we have to have the pumps and the infrastructure."-Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow
Look Up in the Sky: It's a Bird, Plane, Car Thingy
PAL-V Europe is behind the flying/driving concept PAL-V. That name stands for personal air and land vehicle and is the company's solution to all the traffic (in both the city and air). It's a three-wheeler that has a foldaway rotor and propeller. Once airborne, it is said to fly under the 4,000-foot floor of commercial airspace. Since it's European, it runs on petrol, but biodiesel or bioethanol are also options. The company says it can reach speeds of about 125 mph on the ground and above. | 
Diesels to Get New Pollution Standards
The EPA has coughed up some suggestions for tougher standards for exhaust emissions from diesel locomotives and marine engines. Various levels of changes have been proposed, from targeting emissions from remanufactured units to short- and long-term agendas for new engines. |
GM, Ford, and the Chrysler Group met with President Bush to talk fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. The three even got touchy-feely and released a rare group statement in which they noted, "We reiterated that each company stands ready to make half of its annual vehicle production E85 flexible-fuel vehicles or capable of running on biodiesel by 2012." | |
Free Money!
(Or, How We Make a News Item About Coefficient of Drag and Tonneaus Grab You)The folks at SEMA decided it was fine time (read: gas prices are high) to shove a fullsize pickup into a wind tunnel and see what happens. Specifically, they wanted to see what effect a tonneau cover would have on the truck's aerodynamics. (Also an attempt to answer the age-old question: tailgate up or down?) They tested lids made with soft vinyl, folding, fiberglass, and everything in between, and the trucks used were a Chevy Silverado, a Dodge Ram, and a Ford F-150. The short answer is: The coefficent of drag improved across the board for all vehicles with the tonneau in place, no matter what the material. Two of the fiberglass and roll-up vinyl versions did best, seeing improvements of 6.5 percent or more (although it was one particular truck that saw the increase with the roll-ups). As SEMA says, "The most important result to take away from this wind-tunnel test is the fact that the covers did reduce drag, which would likely help to improve fuel economy." As for the tailgate, your results will vary.
Rumor:Is Bentley going to offer a diesel engine within the next couple of years?
Industry Panic Attack of the Month
When DaimlerChrysler sells off Chrysler Group, what happens to all the shared technology with Mercedes-Benz (such as Bluetec)?
Study
Diesel Engines Getting More Popular (duh?)
J.D. Power and Associates has released another of its famous reports, this time about hybrids and diesel engines, under the name "The Steady-But-Slow Rise of Hybrids and Diesels in the U.S. Auto Market." Well, heck, that title sort of stole our thunder. Anyway, it says those both are continuing to gain market share thanks to pain at the pump, technological advances, and we'd guess, cold-sweat nightmares of polar bears clinging to itty, bitty pieces of stray ice. It predicted that hybrids and diesels would own 9 percent of U.S. sales by 2009.
Don't Hold Your Breath for a Heavy-Duty Nissan Titan
Automotive News reported that Nissan has stopped development of a heavy-duty (3/4- or 1-ton) pickup and may eventually skip the whole durn idea altogether. In addition to a unique (and beefier) frame, suspension, and transmission such a truck would require, there would also need to be a diesel offering, because according to SEMA research, nearly all fullsize-pickup buyers go that route. We still expect to see a diesel 1/2-ton Titan by 2009. | 
Sterling Bullet
The new chassis cab from Sterling has been waited for with bated breath (so we've been told). It will be available in the late fall and is a midrange vehicle that will join the low cabover Sterling 360 in the Class 4-5 markets. Standard features will include a Cummins 6.7L with exhaust brake, a power-take-off prep package, and a 34-inch-wide, 50,000-psi frame for body upfitting. Sterling is a subsidiary of Freightliner, which is part of DaimlerChrysler's truck group, if you're keeping score at home. |
Virtual Tiguan Diesel
It won't be here for a few more months, but that shouldn't stop you from livin' la vida Volkswagen Tiguan. A new dedicated Web site features animations, downloads, and driving scenes, as well as a virtual-building process called Tiguan Base. In June, there will be a production model revealed to those who signed on for the Base. Volkswagen says you can access this via the VW home Web site in your country. | 
Carl's Alternative Lifestyle
MJKL owns 52 Carl's Jr. restaurants in Arizona and is converting all corporate fleet vehicles over to alternative fuel that comes straight from its waste vegetable oil. The goal is for the complete conversion to be accomplished by 2010, although 20 percent of the fleet is already running on the biojuice, including some Jeeps, Dodges, and Fords, which are powered by a mix of diesel and treated veggie-oil waste. |
Jaguar's New Clean Diesel
The UK Jag XJ got a nod from Environmental Transport Association's 2007 Car Buyers' Guide in the luxury-car category for its 2.7L diesel as Greenest Choice. The ETA says its existence is to "raise awareness of the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisations [sic] to make positive changes in their travel habits." | |
Diesel Bits Diesel Bits Diesel Bits
* The '07 BMW X5 will enter the Australian market with a new 3.0L turbodiesel.* Robert E. Petersen, who founded Petersen Publishing and was the man responsible for our sister publications Hot Rod and Motor Trend, died at the age of 80.* Cummins has OK'd B20 biodiesel blends for '02-and-later ISX, ISM, ISL, ISC, and ISB engines.* Like to snitch? Then California's new SB889 bill is up your alley. If it passes, it would allow motorists to report soloists in the carpool lane. The DMV would then send a warning to the busted driver.* Some of the tire industry and safety advocates are suing the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the tire-pressure-monitor rule, a law starting with '08 model year vehicles. They say the system should alert drivers sooner to low pressures.