If you aren’t familiar with the gravely rumble of a diesel powered vehicle you probably will be soon.

Recognized each year at the LA Auto Show, the finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award have been released, spanning the gamut of possible alternative fuel vehicles. The nominee include the Ford Focus Electric, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, the Mitsubishi i, the Toyota Prius v and the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI.

The only Japanese manufacturer to ever win the prestigious 24-Hours of Le Mans so far has been Mazda with its 787B. Toyota has been wanting to change that for nearly two decades now. Their last effort in the LMP1 class failed, but next year they’ll be back with a vengeance, using a hybrid racer.

Chevrolet’s decision to offer a diesel-powered Cruze compact in the U.S. is a sign that GM is testing the waters to see how American’s react to the gasoline alternative. Chrysler, says company CEO Sergio Marchionne, has much more ambitious goals for the often-criticized fuel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), certain 2011 and 2012 Mercedes BlueTec diesel may have a possible fuel leak, which can actually lead to fires.

Mazda is hoping to boost sales in the United States by 74 percent, and a key component of their strategy will be delivering sporty vehicles that can turn out “real world” fuel economy numbers.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley Motors’ CEO recently declared, in reference to the firm’s upcoming SUV, that,  “we will be first to use a 12-cylinder petrol engine in a luxury SUV.”

The world’s economy stinks, gas is expensive and we’re all watching our wallets closely.

Chrysler has launched their first two re-badged Lancia product in the UK (where the Lancia brand has been defunct for a number of years), with a pair of hatchbacks based on the Lancia Delta and Ypsilon compact and subcompact cars.

Nothing can test a truck’s true mettle quite like thousands of miles of sand. For the 2012 Dakar Rally, the British Excite Rally Raid Team plans to enter the most brutal competition on Earth using three specially modified versions of Land Rover‘s new Evoque.

There was a time, some 35-odd years ago, when the only engines found under the hood of a Volvo were four-cylinder units. Some were naturally aspirated, and some were boosted via a turbo-charger.

Honda unveiled a new five-door Civic designed specifically for Europe at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Mazda has revealed the production version of its new CX-5 compact crossover. Slated to go on sale in European and North America next year, it represents a new direction, in terms of styling and also engineering for the Hiroshima, Japan based automaker.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its second-generation B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show along with a concept for an E-Cell version of the front-wheel drive compact sport tourer.

The new B-Class is almost two inches shorter than the previous version yet has more leg room thanks to a lowered floor. The seats are also more upright but still offer a lot of head room.

European customers will have the choice of two new gasoline and two diesel options, all with ECO start/stop. The turbocharged 1.6 liter B 180 offers 122 hp while the B 200 version offers 156 hp. The 1.8 liter diesel options include the B 180 CDI with 109 hp and the B 200 CDI with 136 hp. B-class models will come with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a new 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

Using the Mercedes-Benz E220 BlueTec, as a foundation; noted German tuning house Brabus has unveiled its latest Hybrid Project, powered by a direct injection diesel engine with Brabus ‘Eco’ technology and dual electric motors housed in the rear wheel hubs.

When it does go on sale next year Chevy‘s new Cruze Diesel model will reportedly be called the ‘Eco-D’.

More and more automakers it seems, are discovering the benefit of stop/start technology applied to their conventional powered models in an effort to boost fuel economy.

The Mazda CX-5 will enter the highly competitive compact crossover segment in the U.S when it debuts in early 2012. The CX-5 prototype was equipped with 165-hp  2.0-liter engine producing 150 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the American version will likely use the same setup.

Off-roaders may want to listen up, this is your lucky day. Land Rover has confirmed production for the next-gen Defender SUV. The British automaker intends to launch a new Defender in 2015, and the concept version (DC100) will be present at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show.

Two National Guard Light Medium Tactical Vehicles were entirely submerged during the Hurricane Irene aftermath, and the action was captured on video.

The two trucks drove through the deep water in downtown Manville. They managed to drive about a block  before either water got into the engine or the drivers ran out of breath. At one point when the trucks stop, the men climb out of the trucks and appear to be unable to swim.

Check it out for yourself after the jump!

[Source: Jalopnik]

In case BMW‘s notoriously fickle enthusiasts can’t find the motivation to summon their pitchforks, here’s some news to light a fire under their posteriors: the legendary M division will put a diesel engine under the hood of their next car, a 5-Series.

GM may be looking to brand its new Chevy Cruze Diesel as a performance option for enthusiasts, but that doesn’t mean it won’t deliver impressive fuel economy. In fact, quite the opposite, with the new oil burner, due out next year, targeted at the lofty 50-mpg mark.

BMW may have just introduced their revised 1-Series, but it is wasting no time in making it hotter. For their Frankfurt stand, BMW is readying a Performance Concept version—and through these leaked camera phone shots, we now know what it looks like.

BMW unveiled the car ahead of time at a dealer meeting, and some enterprising James Bond took these shots and posted them on 1Addicts.com. From the photos, the 1-Series Performance Concept will have larger dual-spoke alloy wheels, a more aggressive front bumper, and—presumably—320d badging on the tailgate. Rumors abound that this car will have a hotted-up version of the 2.0-liter turbodiesel that produces 184 horsepower in stock form.

This is it for SUV lovers, the piece de resistance. Bentley is working on a design and engineering project to launch a very high-end  £150,000 SUV by 2014, according to CEO Wolfgang Durheimer.

Diesel sales have vastly improved through the end of July, up 38.5 percent, compared to the same seven- month cycle in 2010. Volkswagen has been leading the sales with the Jetta TDI and Golf TDI.

Over the last few years, diesel technology has taken a huge leap in technology. So much so, that a diesel powered car is the preferred choice of weapon for any endurance race.

Volkswagen was one of several large automakers that did not sign off on the Obama Administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for 2025.

Diesels are starting to make a serious push in the U.S. marketplace and while both the Japanese (Mazda) and Americans (General Motors) are planning oil burners for our shores, it’s the Germans that have always cornered the market on diesel options for passenger cars.

General Motors has officially confirmed that there will be a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the U.S, planned for introduction in 2013. The current Chevrolet Cruze Eco is rated at around 40 mpg on the highway, so the diesel would have to deliver significantly better fuel efficiency than that to justify a higher-price. GM CEO Dan Akerson commented on the diesel variant, “I drove it the other day. It is great, these new diesels are quiet. Should make it in the low- to mid-40s, and that’s with an automatic,”.

On July 13, Rainer Zietlow and his team set a new world record for driving the length of the Pan-American Highway covering nearly 16,000 miles  through 14 countries in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV.

Important dates for the release of the Volkswagen Up! models have been leaked. The highly anticipated city vehicle will have its world premiere on August 22 in Paris. Following the premiere, the Up! vehicle will be present at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2011, and the official release for the 3-door hatchback is scheduled for the end of 2011. The bigger 5-door hatchback will be released at the end of 2012, and the first MPV Up! and electric-powered models will be available in early 2013.

In 2009, Volkswagen, in its ever growing quest to become the largest automaker in the world, bought 20% of Suzuki for $2.5-billion. The partnership would have given VW insight into Suzuki’s small-car technology, a segment the Japanese auto-maker is very successful at in Japan. Suzuki on the other hand would have gained valuable knowledge on hybrid technology. It looked like a win-win for both sides, but things have been far from ideal between these two companies.

Herbert Diess, BMW’s board member in charge of purchasing said in a recent interview that this expansion will come by the way of reducing purchasing costs, while keeping a keen eye on quality. BMW has already cut its annual parts purchasing costs by $5.5-billion, but thanks to good quality parts, their warranty costs have also decreased. Currently, BMW spends $37-billion on parts purchasing alone. Diess says this number will grow with the increase in production numbers.

BMW is working on a new engine for its diesel cars, and it’ll be packing three turbos for the X6 and the 7-Series—just like the next M3.

The Tri-Turbo will be a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with more turbochargers than BMW’s twin-turbo models, but less than Bugatti’s quad-turbo engine. Combined, power of these pinwheels will be between 350 and 400 horsepower.

Chevrolet will bring a diesel-powered version of the Cruze compact sedan to the U.S. market. The news comes via two sources briefed on GM’s future product plans and is not the first indication of an oil-burner Cruze for America. Back in February GMInsideNews was first to break the story and this latest info only adds to that report’s credibility.

Turbocharged direct injection, or TDI for short, has become synonymous with Volkswagen and Audi models over the recent decade. So much so that in many countries, TDI is a registered trademark of Volkswagen AG. Unfortunately that won’t be the case in their own home territory, as the European Union courts has denied Audi (and subsequently VW) the rights to claim ownership of the TDI acronym.

TechArt has revealed their tuning kit for the new-generation Porsche Cayenne Diesel, increasing horsepower output from 240-hp to 280-hp. The power increase comes courtesy from their Techtronic power kit line, (part number TA 058/D1) which is essentially an intelligent engine management system that puts power boost at the push of a button. In addition to the Techtronic power kit, TechArt offers a sport exhuast system for the Cayenne Diesel.

Audi is planning on launching the Q2 and Q6 sport oriented SUVs by 2016. Along with the Q2 and Q6 will be the new Q4 and today’s Q3, Q5 and Q7 to complete Audi’s lineup.

In North America, GM has replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt compact with the new Cruze sedan. However in South America, an all-new Chevy Cobalt has been revealed in pre-production form at the Buenos Aires Auto Show in Argentina(June 17-26).

Audi is planning to rival the Range Rover Evoque with it’s own fastback-styled, sporty version badged as the Q4. Audi will likely launch the Q4 in 2014/2015 and will cost around £30,000 ($47,500).

The next generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September, however photos have been leaked, and we have them.

Chevy’s next generation global Colorado pickup was first revealed at the Bangkok Motor Show back in March; now a, striking double cab ‘Rally Concept’ version has made an appearance on the other side of the world, this time at the Buenos Aires International Motor Show in Argentina.

Mazda has confirmed the Minagi-inspired CX-5 will be sold in North America and execs have also revealed that in the future the company will sell a diesel-powered model on our shores. Are these two announcements one in the same? We’ll have to wait and see.

For those wanting an oil burning Tiguan in the United States, it seems that Volkswagen is full of empty promises. When its baby SUV was first introduced here in 2008, execs said that adding a diesel variant to the U.S. line up was a possibility.

Mercedes-Benz has recently unveiled its new M-class SUV and there has been confirmation that several variants for this crossover will be included.

Volkswagen has officially announced pricing for the 2012 Beetle. Pricing will start at $18,995 for the base model equipped with a 170-hp, 2.5-liter five cylinder engine ($19,765 including $770 in destination charges). The Beetle is capable of 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway when equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission.

In an effort to align both brands more closely under the VW umbrella, as well as save on engineering and R&D costs, Audi will supply Porsche with it’s spicy twin-turbo V6 diesel engine.

An updated U.S fuel economy label was unveiled today aimed at reducing gasoline consumption and exhaust emissions. These new stickers will be required on all 2013 models, allowing consumers to quickly glance at fuel consumption.

The sticker will also display estimates of fuel or electricity required to drive 100 miles as well as time needed to charge a plug-in vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says the reason for the redesigned labels is to give consumers, “the best possible information about which cars on the lot offer the greatest fuel economy and the best environmental performance.” The EPA developed the updated labels with assistance from the Department of Transportation.

Check out the video after the jump!

Given the reasonable success of its Sprinter over here, along with other recent commercial transplants from Europe, namely the Ford Transit Connect and upcoming Fiat based offerings from Chrysler, it probably isn’t surprising that Mercedes is looking at importing the Sprinter’s baby brother, the Vito, as an option.

A $30 million federal- government grant, half funded by the Department of Energy is development of a high efficiency Cummins four-cylinder diesel engine to be used in the Nissan Titan.

With consumers in search of higher fuel economy from their vehicles, diesel sales are projected to rise drastically over the next few years. That, at least, is the opinion of Peter Marks, CEO of Bosch operations for North and South America, a supplier of diesel engine parts and one that has significant stake in seeing this prediction come true.

After losing around 70 percent of his ‘fun money’ savings, former Ford Employee Gary Mueller found a unique way to enjoy his retirement, delivering large recreational camper trailers to their owners across North America.

The Ram Long Hauler concept is getting a fair amount of attention for its ability to travel 1,600 miles on a single tank of fuel, but you won’t have to wait for its Kentucky Derby debut on May 6th to see the rest of the truck.

According to Daimler AG’s technical chief, Thomas Webber, the next generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class will possibly include an all-electric version.

Porsche has just announced the latest version of its sports sedan, the Panamera Diesel. Powered by a 3.0-liter V6 diesel, the engine makes 250-hp from 3800 rpm, with torque of 406 lb-ft from 1750 rpm.

Based on the high price of hybrid and electric vehicles, not to mention how long it takes to recoup the added cost through fuel savings (if ever), the number one reason to purchase one should be environmental concerns. The opposite appears to be true for the majority of green car buyers, 75 percent of whom say fuel savings is the number one reason they would consider an “alternative powertrain” model.

Consumers are reacting rapidly to rising gas prices, switching gears away from gas guzzlers and instead purchasing small, fuel efficient cars. According to the latest statistics released by Baum and Associates, sales of hybrid and diesel models saw the biggest jump, climbing at three times the industry average in the month of March.

The BMW 335d was voted “Diesel Car of the Year” at the New York Auto Show, by readers of The Diesel Driver magazine.

Mazda confirmed that their previously unveiled Minagi concept will go into production as the Mazda CX-5, a small crossover intended to slot beneath their mid-size CX-7 and full-size CX-9.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee will once again be offered with a diesel powerplant says Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. Jeep cut the diesel option from its flagship SUV when it introduced the current generation model and Jeep has been officially quiet on its return – until Marchionne’s comments now. An exact date for the new diesel model’s introduction was not revealed, but Marchionne did say it would arrive before 2013.