Diesel has been at the forefront of the vehicle industry for awhile, and it all seemed to start with the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Once that blew over, the company (as well as Audi and Porsche) permanently ended diesel sales in the U.S. while the U.K. banned the sale of new diesel cars by 2040 (with a pollution tax in 2020 for those driving diesel engines).
With so much backlash on diesel engines, the list of ones available in the U.S. has become minimal. In the EPA’s Fuel Economy Guide, there are just a handful of 2018 light-duty diesel-powered vehicles for this year:
General Motors
The Detroit-based company is offering five (yes, five) diesel models for this year: the Chevrolet Cruze sedan, the Chevrolet Equinox SUV, the GMC Terrain SUV, the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck, and the GMC Canyon pickup truck.
Jaguar Land Rover
Second in the running for most diesel options available is a maker most probably wouldn’t guess: Jaguar Land Rover. The company will be offering the Jaguar XE sedan, the Jaguar XF sedan, the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, and the Range Rover Velar SUV.
BMW
BMW is the only German automaker on the EPA’s list and is proudly making its X5 35d SUV, 540d, and 328d sedan (in three configurations) in diesel options.
Mazda
Mazda surprisingly made the diesel list and is offering the Mazda 6 sedan and the CX-5 SUV with diesel-powered engines.
Ford
Ford recently announced that it will be unveiling its flagship F-150 pickup truck in a diesel engine option. There have also been rumors of its upcoming Bronco SUV also being available with a diesel.
According to Autoweek, Joe Eberhardt, JLR’s North American CEO, acknowledged during a visit to Automotive News that marketing a diesel-powered vehicle these days is tough.
“Right now, with all the negativity around diesel, if we pushed it really hard, I am not sure it would convert someone who has a negative connotation of diesel just by saying, ‘It’s not as bad as you think,'” he said.
Plus, with European automakers now having to abide by new diesel regulations, it’s unlikely we’ll see new diesel developments. Instead, we’ll likely see a focus on smaller, more efficient gasoline engines.
*Photo courtesy of autoweek.com
