U.S. diesel vehicle sales up 38.5% in 2011, VW Jetta TDI leads pack

Through the end of July, sales of diesel vehicles in the United States were up 38.5 percent, compared to the same seven-month period in 2010. Led by the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Golf TDI, diesel vehicles appear to have escaped the quake-related supply issues that crippled hybrid vehicle sales for months, though they're tally of 8,653 vehicles sold in July still only represents 0.82 percent of the total market.

Sales of the segment leader, the Jetta TDI, were 5,206 last month, bringing the diesel sedan's year-to-date total to 56,717. The oil-burning Golf didn't enjoy nearly the same level of demand, but its sales of 966 units in July landed the hatchback in second place among all diesel vehicles. In third, with sales ringing in at 562 units was the diesel-fueled BMW X5 xDrive35d.

Looking for more details? Head over to Hybrid Cars for a model-by-model breakdown of diesel vehicle sales for July 2011.