Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Diesels Coming To US in 2008


After showing off their BlueTec-equipped diesel six-cylinder engine at the Detroit Auto Show, BMW indicated that they would be installing oil-burners in their US offerings in 2008. Yesterday, prior to the opening of the Geneva Motor Show BMW CEO Dr. Norbert Reithofer reaffirmed that diesels would be available in US-market BMWs beginning with the X5 and 5-series models. Diesel engines make up about forty percent of BMW's sales worldwide, but are currently unavailable here. He also stated that the mild hybrid system they are jointly developing with DaimlerChrysler would be on sale in about two years time.

[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]