It Pays to Be Unconventional
What a great little diesel! There should be more like it. Well there are a few. The unconventional engine-type, which makes
up forty percent of European sales, finds its way into the Canadian market in the back end of the new smart fortwo and under the hood of the top-tier Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI, but unfortunately, the demand for diesels is not overwhelming.
I can sometimes see why though. The preconceived notion of the diesel engine being smelly, noisy and environmentally unfriendly still lingers in the minds of car buyers. Although diesel technology has greatly improved, making them not only cleaner burning but more fuel efficient and often more powerful than their
gasoline powered counterparts, diesels still bear a negative reputation.
Before becoming an automotive journalist I thought the same way about the internal combustion engine alternative; they were smelly, noisy and environmentally unfriendly. My girlfriend Gen has a 1990 VW Jetta TDI that exhausts the infamous cloud of black smoke as the ignition is turned over. It also emits the all-too-familiar diesel smell that presents itself while the car is just getting started; both points which backed up my accusations of diesels. But as the newer VW diesels hit the market, and others, the cloud of smoke and noise lessen. Yet, there will always be the notorious grumble of the engine.
What a great little diesel! There should be more like it. Well there are a few. The unconventional engine-type, which makes
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| Diesel technology has greatly improved, making the TDI engine cleaner burning and more powerful than its gasoline powered base counterpart. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
I can sometimes see why though. The preconceived notion of the diesel engine being smelly, noisy and environmentally unfriendly still lingers in the minds of car buyers. Although diesel technology has greatly improved, making them not only cleaner burning but more fuel efficient and often more powerful than their
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| Now that I have tested the latest VW common-rail turbodiesel technology, my previous notions about diesel power have changed. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
Before becoming an automotive journalist I thought the same way about the internal combustion engine alternative; they were smelly, noisy and environmentally unfriendly. My girlfriend Gen has a 1990 VW Jetta TDI that exhausts the infamous cloud of black smoke as the ignition is turned over. It also emits the all-too-familiar diesel smell that presents itself while the car is just getting started; both points which backed up my accusations of diesels. But as the newer VW diesels hit the market, and others, the cloud of smoke and noise lessen. Yet, there will always be the notorious grumble of the engine.