Acura delays diesel due to business conditions, not technical hurdles

Early last year, Acura announced that we would see a 2.2-liter diesel in its lineup in the 2009 model year with a V6 diesel expected to follow in 2010. According to a conversation with AutoblogGreen yesterday, Acura's diesel program has been put on hold – indefinitely. Honda of America spokesperson Sage Marie said the program is in "wait and see" mode due to commercial, not technical, reasons (it was just two months ago that the program was rumored to be shelved when the engine couldn't pass emissions). Honda says a combination of factors, including plummeting car sales and the high cost of diesel fuel (especially now that gasoline is down below $2/gallon) are solely to blame. While the 2.2-liter diesel is already available in Europe (in the Euro Honda Accord – our Acura TSX), the Acura diesel is expected to be a low-volume model on our shores. With that in mind, the automaker has decided to re-evaluate where the market is heading before making a significant investment in oil-burners for this country.