In the latest Bob Lutz video released on the Fastlane Blog the other day, Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz talked about diesels and didn't seem to exited about the prospects. Toward the end of the video he did mention that some diesels will come to US cars, crossovers and trucks but offered no details. GM did introduce a new 2.9L V-6 diesel at the Geneva Motor Show and has said it wasn't coming to the US. That position may be changing now.
If GM does offer the V-6 it would likely be in premium models like Cadillac and maybe Buick. Since Saturn is now the effectively the US branch of Opel and has been largely Europeanized, it would also be a logical home for diesels, especially in the Outlook crossover which is pretty thirsty with its current gasoline 3.6L V-6.
GM will be showing a diesel variant of the E-Flex system in an Opel body shell at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and reportedly will also put the same powertrain in a Saturn Aura for the January Detroit Auto Show.
Update: After talking to a spokesman at General Motors, it appears that most of what Automotive News wrote and everyone else is repeating is pure conjecture. For the time being the 2.9L V-6 is a Europe only engine set to debut in the 2009 Cadillac CTS. There are currently no plans to bring this engine to the US market. Of course depending on what happens with regulations (both fuel economy and emissions) and market demand, plans can change. All work on the E-Flex architecture is being done on the Global Compact Car platform (currently known as Delta) and the Aura is built on the larger Epsilon mid-sized platform. With the Saturn/Opel tie-up a Saturn diesel E-Flex is not out the question, but if it happens it will be on something derived from the Astra.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]
If GM does offer the V-6 it would likely be in premium models like Cadillac and maybe Buick. Since Saturn is now the effectively the US branch of Opel and has been largely Europeanized, it would also be a logical home for diesels, especially in the Outlook crossover which is pretty thirsty with its current gasoline 3.6L V-6.
GM will be showing a diesel variant of the E-Flex system in an Opel body shell at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and reportedly will also put the same powertrain in a Saturn Aura for the January Detroit Auto Show.
Update: After talking to a spokesman at General Motors, it appears that most of what Automotive News wrote and everyone else is repeating is pure conjecture. For the time being the 2.9L V-6 is a Europe only engine set to debut in the 2009 Cadillac CTS. There are currently no plans to bring this engine to the US market. Of course depending on what happens with regulations (both fuel economy and emissions) and market demand, plans can change. All work on the E-Flex architecture is being done on the Global Compact Car platform (currently known as Delta) and the Aura is built on the larger Epsilon mid-sized platform. With the Saturn/Opel tie-up a Saturn diesel E-Flex is not out the question, but if it happens it will be on something derived from the Astra.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]
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