The Diesel Driver » Volkswagen

Volkswagen to Offer Diesel Beetle Starting in August

Paul Riegler — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:13:32 +0000

Volkswagen, the current market leader in U.S. diesel sales, will offer a diesel model of the Beetle and will debut the Beetle TDI (which stands for “turbocharged direct injection”) at the Chicago Auto Show next week.

The Beetle TDI is expected to offer 29 mpg (8.11 l/100 km) in city driving and 39 mpg (6 l/100 km) on the highway.

It will be offered as a 2013 model and is the first diesel Beetle (Käfer in German) since 2006.

Buyers will have a choice of a six-speed manual or dual-clutch DSG transmission as well as three trim levels.

Volkswagen offers diesel engines in its Golf, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, and Touareg models and more than 20% of buyers opt for the oilburner.

2011 Diesel Sales Report: Market Share in Germany Hit 49%

Christian Stampfer — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:30:31 +0000

It’s common knowledge that the market share for diesel is in the low single digits in the U.S. Currently, only four manufacturers, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen currently offer diesel-powered automobiles although there will be several automakers joining the diesel fold, including Jeep, Mazda, and Porsche, in the coming 18 months.

In Germany, the picture was quite different in 2011. Overall, looking at new car registration figures from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA or German Federal Motor and Transport Authority) and manufacturer-provided sales data covering Audi, BMW, Citroën, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Seat, Škoda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo, diesel sales were 48.71% of total new car sales.

Complete charts with data by manufacturer and segment may be found on page two of this article.

Looking at specific categories, such as compact cars or SUVs, is even more interesting.

In compact car sales, the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta line was the diesel market leader with 105,786 units sold. Percentage wise, the Peugeot 308 (not sold in the U.S.) led with 60.24% of buyers choosing the oil burner. The Škoda Octavia was close behind, with 59.05% of buyers going diesel. 43.65% of buyers opted for diesel in this segment overall.

In the smaller mid-sized segment, the Volkswagen Passat (the European model, which differs from the U.S.-specific Passat) led in volume in diesel sales with 86,291 sold. In terms of the diesel take rate, the low-volume Volvo V50 led the way, with 95% of buyers going diesel. The overall take rate for this group, which includes the Audi A4/A5, BMW 3er, and Peugeot 508, was an impressive 74.58%.

In the larger mid-sized segment, the BMW 5 Series was the diesel take-rate leader at 89.86%. It was also the volume leader in a group that includes the Audi A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. This category’s overall take rate was 85.83%.

For large luxury sedans, the BMW 7er was the diesel volume leader with 4,242 units sold. The Volkswagen Phaeton (not currently available in the U.S.) was the take-rate leader, with 89..03% of buyers choosing compression ignition. The overall diesel take rate for luxury sedans was 67.22%.

Finally, in the SUV category, the Volkswagen Tiguan (not available as a diesel in the U.S.) led the pack with 31,271 units sold. Two low-volume Land Rovers, the Discovery and Freelander, led in diesel take rate with 99.7% and 99.54% respectively. All three Mercedes-Benz SUVs (the GLK, ML-Class, and R-Class, as well as two BMW SUVs (the BMW X3 and X5), also had take rates in the 90s, as did the Ford Kuga and the Volvo XC60.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Charts and Data By Manufacturer and Segment

Your Favorite Articles in The Diesel Driver in 2011

Paul Riegler — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:08:53 +0000

As the year draws to a close, here’s a look at the ten most popular articles in The Diesel Driver in 2011. The rankings are based on reader popularity, shares via Facebook and other social media, and e-mail forwards.

The stories range from the first in-depth review of the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI to ongoing reports on our BMW 335d long-term test car, to a preview of the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec.

Enjoy the retrospective.

1.)        2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Review and First Drive/Road Test
Our review of two days with the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI at its June launch in Chattanooga

2.)        2011 Volkswagen Jetta – First Review
Join us at the launch of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta TDI in San Francisco and spend two days driving in Northern California with us.

3.)        BMW 335d Three-Month Test Report and Review
Our first three months with our BMW 335d long-term test car, starting with delivery at the BMW Welt and an in-depth look at its great fuel economy, superb handling, and road manners.

4.)        2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review and Road Test
We spend a week with the new Touareg, learn to pronounce the name (it’s “twah-reg”), and begin to understand why so many Touareg buyers opt for the diesel version.

5.)        2012 Diesel Car Lineup in the U.S. – What’s New
A look at what’s new in 2012, including the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec and the Volkswagen Passat TDI.

6.)        BMW 335d 12-Month Report and Review
Like a good novel, readers flocked to see how the BMW 335d fared after 12 months and 10,000 km.

7.)        2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI – Review and Test Drive
A week with Volkswagen’s Jetta SportWagen TDI – 80% of JSW buyers go diesel!

8.)        2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec Diesel Review and First Look
A week with the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec prior to its launch – and a drive from New York City to Boston and back using only half a tank – helped firm up our decision to add the E-Klasse to our long-term test fleet

9.)        2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec First Look and Review
Our review of the new ML Class diesel at its launch in Montana’s rugged outback

10.)      2011 BMW X3 Review and Road Test – The Road to Berchtesgaden
We drive the new BMW X3 xDrive20d to Berchtesgaden to take in the views.

2011 Year in Review: Diesel in America

Paul Riegler — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:52:42 +0000

2011 was a good year for diesel fans. Sales of diesel-powered automobiles in the U.S. were up 39% in the first half of the year, and it looks like that figure will increase when all of 2011 is tallied.

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.

2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Review and Report

Jonathan Spira — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:49:37 +0000

In the U.S., the Passat has had a bit of an identity crisis. First introduced as the Passat in Germany in 1973
and developed from the Audi 80/Fox platform (VW had acquired Audi in 1964), the new front-wheel-drive sedan with a water-cooled engine was the harbinger of things to come out of Wolfsburg.

When it reached the U.S., it wasn’t called the Passat, however. (Passat is the German word for “trade wind”; at the time, VW was heavily invested in naming its cars after winds, including Golf (Gulf stream), Jetta (Jet stream), and Scirocco (Sirocco).) It was called the Dasher, which is not a wind, of course, just as the Golf, which was introduced in the U.S. by VW in 1974 as the Rabbit.

We first drove the new 2012 Passat TDI in June around the fine state of Tennessee but, since it didn’t reach dealerships until later in the summer, we didn’t get a chance to spend a week in one until just recently.

Known as the New Midsize Sedan (NMS) until its unveiling at the beginning of this year, the Passat NMS is not available in Germany. It was designed with the U.S. market in mind and is the sole production vehicle at Volkswagen’s brand new plant in Chattanooga. It’s also being built in China for the Chinese market.

The previous generation Passat (a facelifted version is still being sold in Europe but it was last sold in the U.S. in 2010 and there was no 2011 model available) was thought to be too small and too expensive for American tastes. With fluctuating exchange rates, lowering the price of an imported Passat would have proven to be quite a challenge.

Happily for customers, Volkswagen was able to neatly address all three problems in one fell swoop. The automaker decided to build the new Passat in the U.S. and make it bigger but use the same engineering and engines as the European version.

The 2012 Passat sells for $7000 less than its predecessor (this is a 25% reduction). The TDI (turbo diesel) model comes with the same inline-four as found in the Golf TDI and Jetta TDI. The new Passat is also available in two gasoline variants. The base model has a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine and the Passat SEL has a 3.6-liter V-6. It’s also one of two new-for-2012 cars (the other is the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec) that is a contender for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year.

FIRST NEW PASSAT DELIVERY – A DIESEL!

The first of the new 2012 Passats to be delivered to a customer was, appropriately, a black Passat TDI, delivered on September 13, 2012 to its new owner, Matt Duchesne, of San Jose, California. The delivery took place at Stevens Creek Volkswagen.

While Volkswagen doesn’t offer factory delivery in Chattanooga (which is truly a pity), the automaker did fly Duchesne to the factory for a tour and filled his trunk with VW gear. Shell Oil presented him with $500 in gift cards to purchase diesel fuel, a gift which, since the Passat gets 43 mpg (5.47 l/100 km), should keep his tank full for at least the first 5,000 miles (8,000 km).

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Driving the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI and Passat TDI Interior

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Nine Month Review and Report

Jonathan Spira — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:57:50 +0000

While we only picked up our long-term 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI back in February of this year, our relationship with the new built-for-America Jetta started in the summer of 2010, when The Diesel Driver was the only U.S. publication invited to drive the diesel Jetta at the press launch.

Designed specifically for the American market, the new Jetta is bigger and less expensive than its predecessor. It’s longer, which translates into a more spacious interior both in the front and rear. It has more shoulder room, leg-room in the rear (2.7” to be exact). The trunk, with 15.5 cubic feet of space, is larger than one of VW’s targeted competitors, the Toyota Corolla, but it’s a drop smaller than the previous Jetta’s.

The diesel is at the top of the Jetta line-up along with Jetta SEL so it comes very well equipped. Standard equipment includes a sunroof, heated mirrors, heated front seats, excellent Bluetooth connectivity, and Sirius satellite radio with 3 month complimentary service.   The only options are a navigation system that we didn’t get, which comes with different trim and enhanced Bluetooth display, fog lamps, the DSG transmission (more on that in a moment), and keyless start/stop and access.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

Our 2011 Jetta TDI came with the same 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that was in the previous-generation Jetta TDI – which is also the same engine that gave Volkswagen a Guinness World Record for Lowest Fuel Consumption.

The engine is capable of 140 hp and 236 pound-feet (320 Newton-meters) of torque. Given that the TDI starts at $22,525 and comes with all of the features of the SE with the convenience package and the sunroof, the additional cost of the diesel engine is only $1,340, a figure that will be recouped rather quickly thanks to the TDI’s 27% better fuel economy.

It’s interesting to note that the Jetta TDI can go faster than other 2011 Jettas (209 km/h or 130 mph versus 204 km/h or 127 mph for the petrol SE/L and 193 km/h or 120 mph for the Jetta S). It can make it from 0 to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, a figure that is a tad slower than the last Jetta we tested back in 2009.   On the plus side, fuel economy for the 2011, however, is improved by roughly 5%.

We specified our Jetta TDI to come with Volkswagen’s DSG transmission, something worth looking at for a moment. Despite our preference for manual transmissions, the DSG, which stands for Direkt-Schalt-Getribe or Direct-Shift Gearbox in English, is exceptionally well matched to the engine. It’s an electronically-controlled manual gearbox without a clutch pedal and it can be operated in full automatic or semi-manual mode.

I’ve found that the DSG provides a responsive yet frugal drive. In manual mode, it was great for fast shifting in the Shoreline Highway’s twisties although I would much preferred to have had paddle shifters.

The EPA figures tell us that the 2011 Jetta TDI uses only 7.8 l/100 km (30 mpg) in the city and a mere 5.6 l/100 km (42 mpg) on the highway – and this figure doesn’t change if you opt for the DSG.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Driving the Jetta TDI and Jetta TDI Interior

Vote for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year

Jonathan Spira — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:01:22 +0000

Voting for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year has started. Four companies, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, currently offer diesel passenger cars in the U.S.

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.

Coming Up in The Diesel Driver in December and 2012

Paul Riegler — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:27:26 +0000

We have exciting news about upcoming features, and coverage, and additions to our short-term press fleet.

Balloting for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year will start on Friday, November 18^th. You can read about the winner of the 2011 Diesel Car of the Year, the BMW 335d, and, starting on the 18th, select from 13 contenders from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen.

Next up is a nine-month report on our Volkswagen Jetta TDI long-term test auto. Currently in our short-term test fleet is the Volkswagen Passat TDI, which we first reviewed in June . We’ll have a new review of the Passat in December for you.

We’ll soon be adding the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec and 2012 Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTec to our short-term test fleet and will report on those vehicles as well.

In December, we’ll also feature a report on the unique safety features of our long-term Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec.

We’ll kick off our diesel coverage in early 2012 with a review of the 2012 Audi A3 TDI.

And finally, we’ll also take a look at a few hybrids in early 2012, including the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid and the 2012 Lexus HS 250 h.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec Diesel Three Month Review and Report

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:38:34 +0000

Last November, I drove the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec sedan from New York to Boston and back and promptly fell in love. The trip of 331 km (206 miles) took three hours and my fuel consumption was 6.7 l/100 km (35 mpg). The return trip of 335 km (208 miles) took a little longer but my fuel consumption was only 6.3 l/100 km (37 mpg). These figures were on par with the fuel economy we saw with our BMW 335d long-term test car, yet the Benz was bigger.

This year Mercedes is celebrating its 125th anniversary and is credited not only with inventing the diesel-powered passenger car in the 1930s but with having invented the automobile as we more or less know it in 1886. In the U.S. in recent years, diesels have remained solely in the domain of the Germans, while others automakers experiment with hybrids and electric vehicles.

Mercedes’ diesel offspring have done it proud. It’s not uncommon to see a W123 240D or 300D still on the road, even though the last one was produced over 25 years ago. The resale value of diesels remains high and that is reflected in the very high residual value of the car for leasing customers.

Mercedes-Benz is currently tied with Volkswagen for offering the most diesel models in the U.S. (each has five). The E350 BlueTec model was added to the list of available E-Klasse models in the U.S. last year, rounding out the automaker’s U.S. diesel lineup with a four-door sedan. A second four-door sedan, the larger S350 BlueTec , is first going on sale now at dealerships and was recently in our short-term test fleet.

The 2011 E350 BlueTec sedan was completely new for 2010 and it is a standard E350 sedan in every regard save one: the engine. Compared to the petrol version, the E350 BlueTec comes with a smaller V-6 3.0-liter 72° engine, which powered an earlier E-Class in the U.S., the 2006 E320 diesel. Today that engine is fitted with Mercedes’ AdBlue urea-injection system that scrubs the exhaust, eliminating almost all of its NOx emissions and making the car legal in all 50 states.

The diesel engine does, however, make a world of difference. While the diesel only produces 210 hp, it does produce 400 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm. The E350 gasser only manages 258 pound-feet between 2,400 and 5,000 (the diesel tops out at 4500 rpm incidentally, but that’s fairly typical for an oil burner), while the E550’s massive V-8 only manages to produce 391 pound-feet of torque (although this figure will be increased in the 2012 model).

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Driving the E350 BlueTec and the E350′s Interior plus Virtual Drives

Jaguar Land Rover to Offer Diesel Engines in the U.S.

Jonathan Spira — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:30:59 +0000

Jaguar Land Rover will offer U.S. customers the option of a diesel-powered Land Rover in the next few years, although the timeframe has yet to be determined and it is likely not to be imminent.

The good news, which came as the result of a question this reporter posed in a Q&A session with Jaguar Land Rover executives today at the International Automobile Show in Frankfurt, will help the company meet upcoming fuel-economy standards. It should also help Land Rover’s offerings appeal to environmentally-conscious SUV buyers.

Both Jaguar and Land Rover currently offer European customers the option of a diesel engine and the automaker’s 3.0-liter turbo diesel V-6 in standard in many Land Rover and Range Rover models. This is the engine we are likely to see across the pond as it meets current European emissions standards and it should be able to pass EPA tests with minimal additional plumbing.

Four manufacturers, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, currently offer American customers a selection of diesel-powered SUVs and buyer acceptance is high.

Comparable model sales for both the Audi Q7 TDI and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI compared to their petrol equivalents were 43% in the first half of 2011 in the U.S. The Touareg TDI outsold the gasoline version in the second quarter.

Based on these figures, it’s clear that luxury SUV buyers are ready for diesels. By comparison, hybrid SUVs have enjoyed far less market acceptance.