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If you tried to find a diesel-powered car in the U.S. of A. you’d certainly have a hard time, as their total sales account for less than 3% of the total market. But the future may be different. With gas prices constantly fluctuating and the government pushing manufacturers to improve efficiency, analysts predict that hybrids are not the only kind of vehicles that many buyers will turn to: diesel is another option. Auto experts are not of a single mind when it comes to the future of diesel in the U.S. Parts Supplier Robert Bosch LLC says it expects diesel sales to grow to 10% of the U.S. market in the next decade.
Analysts like Mike Otomoso, a powertrain expert at J.D. Power & Associates, consider this a very optimistic estimate: "We've seen a little bit of movement, but it's still limited to the German carmakers."
It’s true that Mercedes-Benz, arch-rival BMW and VW bring diesel versions of their cars to the U.S. because they already sell them in big numbers in Europe, where diesel-powered cars are very popular. North American and Japanese car owners prefer to put gasoline into their cars, so domestic automakers have only recently started to delve into this field.
General Motors has already announced that it will bring a diesel version of its Cruze small sedan into the States in 2013 – the first since… well, time immemorial. But then, Chevrolet is also selling diesel-powered cars overseas, so it shouldn’t be that difficult. Cadillac is also contemplating introducing a diesel engine option for its models.
“It’s a really good hedge on the unknown”, said Mark Reuss, GM’s North American president, last August. “If you look at how many diesels our competition sells, it’s not small in some cases.”
VW has seen its diesel-powered car sales increase by 37% in 2011 compared to last year. "We've been a huge player in Europe, where diesels have been accepted for years," said company spokesman Scott Vazin. “Now, U.S. buyers are starting to embrace the benefits of diesel.”
On the plus side, modern diesel engines are not what they were 20, or even 10, years ago. They are much cleaner than before and sturdier than their gasoline versions while delivering more low-end grunt along with at least 20-30% lower fuel consumption.
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