Two entirely new diesels were introduced in 2011, namely the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI .  Both cars are four-door sedans with excellent fuel economy and plenty of passenger room.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz introduced a completely redesigned ML350 BlueTec over the summer.

Earlier this year, readers of The Diesel Driver chose the BMW 335d as the 2011 Diesel Car of the Year .  The 3er received 29.6% of the vote, and 3,669 readers from 43 countries took part in the balloting.  In second place was the Volkswagen Golf TDI with 16.1 percent of the vote. The Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, with 16 percent of the vote, came in third.

In August, TDD editors Jonathan Spira and Christian Stampfer traveled to the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen to take delivery of The Diesel Driver’s new E350 BlueTec sedan .  Since then, the E-Klasse has visited four countries (Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.) and 10 states plus the District of Columbia in the U.S.  Its maiden drive was from Sindelfingen to Maastricht, and its first trip in the U.S. was from New York to Kennebunkport.

In a poll we conducted earlier this year, 749 readers told us why they purchased a diesel. The most often cited reason was fuel economy followed by power and torque.  Reliability was third, followed by reduced emissions and a higher residual value.

From the Tokyo Motor Show, Jonathan Spira reported that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are starting to offer diesels in Japan, traditionally the land of the gasoline-electric hybrid.  Christian Stampfer reported from Frankfurt on the newest diesels and alternative-fuel vehicles being introduced by BMW and by Mercedes-Benz and Jonathan Spira discovered that Jaguar Land Rover will offer a diesel in the U.S. although exactly which vehicle and when remain uncertain.

Finally, balloting for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year started last month and you can still place your vote or tell your friends to vote for their favorite diesel.  This year’s nominees include seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sedan TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, as well as six SUVs, the Audi Q7 TDI, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Voting ends at midnight on March 1, 2012. The 2012 Diesel Car of the Year, as well as the two runners up, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012.

This year’s stellar field of nominees includes seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf  TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sedan TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, as well as six SUVs, the Audi Q7 TDI, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Two of these models, namely the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI, are new for 2012.  The winner of the 2011 Diesel Car of the Year Award, the BMW 335d, is no longer in production, so the field is wide open, and it’s up to readers of The Diesel Driver to make the decision.  Last year, over 3600 readers took part in the vote.

Voting starts at noon on November 18 and ends at midnight on March 1, 2012.  The 2012 Diesel Car of the Year, as well as the two runners up, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012.

Each year, The Diesel Driver’s readers will select the Diesel Car of the Year, recognizing three vehicles offered in the U.S. as the people’s choice.  As jurors, you can vote for any one of the 13 nominees.  Criteria range from fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions to performance, handling, styling, comfort, and the overall package.

The Diesel Driver is the world’s leading publication geared towards automotive enthusiasts who are interested in diesel-powered passenger cars. The Diesel Driver offers in-depth road tests and reviews, diesel-oriented travel features, and features that focus on the latest in diesel technology.

The Diesel Driver analyzed new-car sales data for the first six months of 2011 from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, the four companies that offer diesel-powered passenger vehicles in the U.S. (see the detailed chart at the bottom of page three). While diesel’s total market share has remained steady, sales are up compared to the first two quarters of 2010, and are on track to exceed the total 2010 diesel sales. The data cover the first two quarters of 2011 (January through June). Total diesel sales for the period were 47,873 vehicles.

The past six months saw several diesel-powered cars consistently outsell their gasoline equivalents, including the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (81% diesel), Volkswagen Golf TDI (56%), and the Audi A3 TDI (54%).  Strikingly, BMW 335d sales are neck and neck with the gasoline version this year, with the diesel 335 claiming a significantly larger market share than during the first half of 2010.

The overall diesel take rate remained steady in the first half of 2011.  The first two quarters of 2010 saw a 32% market share for diesel among the four car manufacturers.  In the first six months of 2011, that number remained 32%.  Diesel sales fell between the beginning and end of this period; in January, diesel sales were 32%, falling to 28% by June. However, at 47,873, total diesel sales for this year so far exceed those for the first two quarters of 2010 by 39%. If sales continue at this pace, the figure could be 108,000 or higher, exceeding the 2010 total of 77,877.

Audi once again led in the percentage of buyers who chose diesel (48%), up from 45% in the first two quarters of 2010. In total sales, Volkswagen was the clear standout with 33,259 diesel cars sold. That’s a 42% percent increase from the same period last year. Mercedes-Benz took second place with 5,953 sales (ousting BMW, which claimed the runner-up spot in the same period last year), although it still came in last place in comparable model sales with 18%.  With 4,805 units sold, BMW moved down to third place. Audi came in fourth with 3,856 sales.

Several completely redesigned models that were introduced in 2010 continued into 2011 with strong sales.  These include the Volkswagen Touareg TDI and the Jetta TDI. Production of the BMW 335d will end in August, leaving one BMW diesel model, the X5 xDrive35d, available.  The all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI should be arriving at dealerships this fall, and Mercedes-Benz’s 2012 S350 BlueTec, the first diesel-powered S-class in the U.S. market since the 1996 model year, should be available later this summer.

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