Originally revealed in February, RAM has announced that production on the RAM 1500 Diesel will begin September 2013.

The diesel powerplant is sourced from VM Motori and is much lighter than the Cummins six-cylinder currently found in heavy-duty RAM pickups. The 3.0-liter V6 diesel powerplant will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and should be rated at 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. The American automaker hasn’t announced final specifications yet.

SEE ALSO: RAM 1500 Becomes Industry-First Half-Ton Diesel Pickup

The diesel RAM 1500 is also expected to offer best-in-class fuel economy, which means it’ll be at least 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. If production does get under way in September, dealerships should expect the RAM 1500 Diesel in October.

Discuss this story at RamChargerCentral.com

The BMW Group, which consists of BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce, has posted its best April global sales yet with a total of 155,419 vehicles sold last month.

The strong April, which was an increase of 6.8 percent in sales, gave the BMW Group a new all-time high of 603,619 vehicles sold during the first four months of the year. BMW brand vehicles rose 7.5 percent to 130,598 last month compared to April 2012 while worldwide MINI sales increased 3.3 percent. The BMW Group is enjoying success thanks to strong gains in the Asian and American markets.

Deliveries of the BMW X1 increased 14.8 percent compared to last year, with 11,837 units delivered in April. The 3 Series climbed 16 percent compared to last year to 38,491 units while the 3 Series Touring more than doubled with 104.6 percent growth. A total of 512,000 BMW vehicles have been delivered to customers worldwide in 2013, an increase of 7.1 percent.

Last month, MINI delivered 24,581 vehicles and its worldwide sales increased 3.3 percent.

China accounted for 30,311 deliveries last month while the Americas sold 36,547 vehicles for an increase of 11.7 percent. Europe contributed to the total with 69,957 vehicles.

Discuss this story at BimmerWerkz.com

There’s a lot to love about the 2014 Range Rover Sport and the British automaker is banking on its popularity by expanding the lineup by offering even more powertrain options.

Land Rover will be adding to its Range Rover Sport lineup with a diesel-electric hybrid model and a conventional model powered by the automaker’s V8. Further down the line, the Range Rover Sport will also be offered with a four-cylinder “EcoBoost” engine, which is now possible thanks to its weight loss.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Range Rover Sport is 15% Lighter, 100% Sexier

According to Stuart Firth, Land Rover’s Chief Program Engineer for the Range Rover Sport, by shedding over 925 pounds, the Range Rover Sport is now able to be powered by a smaller four-cylinder without compromising the performance and off-road capability that the SUV is known for.

The V8 model will bring 516 lb-ft of torque to the Range Rover Sport and will join the lineup later this year along with the diesel-hybrid model. The diesel-hybrid Range Rover Sport will be a diesel V6 engine and will have its hybrid goods located under the floor of the SUV, allowing it to retain its seven-seater configuration and cargo space will be left as is. The hybrid technology will also be introduced to the standard, larger Range Rover model at the same time.

GALLERY: 2014 Range Rover Sport Mega Gallery

[Source: Carsales.com.au]

Discuss this story at RangeRovers.net

The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is rated at 46 mpg on the highway, giving it the potential to get at least 700 miles to a tank.

But on a recent trip by Tessa Baughman, an energy engineer for General Motors, she was able to net 900 miles on a single tank cruising at 5 mph below the speed limit. Even in stop-and-go traffic, Baughman claims the Cruze Diesel’s tank was good for 800 miles.

SEE ALSO: Chevy Cruze Diesel Bests Jetta TDI With 46 MPG

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI on the other hand, is rated at up to 43 mpg and has a range of 795 miles based on an 18.5-gallon tank and a manual transmission. The Cruze Diesel comes with a six-speed automatic and a 2.0-liter, turbo-diesel that’s good for 148 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

Known to have the best highway fuel efficiency out of any non-hybrid on the road, the Cruze Diesel starts at $25,695 including an $810 destination fee.

Discuss this story at ChevroletCruze.net

Marrying two of the world’s high-efficiency automotive systems, Land Rover will debut its diesel hybrid Range Rovers later this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will be offered with the diesel hybrid system, although neither will reach North America because the diesel engines don’t meet emissions standards. Despite that, the SUVs will offer a preview of what to expect from future products once those standards are on a level playing field.

The product offered to Europeans will use a 3.0-liter diesel engine in tandem with an electric motor that sits between the engine and transmission.

According to Land Rover engineer Stuart Frith, the SUVs will be on sale in Europe before the end of the year. Alongside those, he also said the brand will debut a new diesel V8-powered Range Rover Sport at the show capable of as much as 516 lb-ft of torque.

Aside from that, Land Rover will also eventually offer the Sport with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that currently powers the Evoque — a change made possible by the roughly 800 lbs lost for the 2014 model year.

[Source: CarSales]

Discuss this story at Luxury4Play.com

Put your ear to the ground. You’re probably going to hear the gravelly sound of a diesel engine coming… at least figuratively.

That might be true, but it might not. First, the engines are much quieter than they used to be so you wouldn’t exactly hear them coming. Second, registration is increasing much faster for diesels than cars and SUVs overall. According to automotive data and marketing firm R.L. Polk and Co., diesel registration rose 24 percent in the U.S. between 2010 and 2012 compared to a 2.75 percent overall increase at the same time.

Despite that, diesel powered vehicles (excluding trucks and vans used commercially) make up less than three percent of the overall market. That figure will change in the coming years for a variety of reasons, and automakers are introducing products in anticipation.

Yesterday, Mercedes-Benz released the GLK 250 BlueTEC, which is a diesel version of the GLK small SUV. The German luxury brand has already sold the same car north of the border for years, but buyers are more receptive to the products there. Similarly, Chevrolet will soon offer a diesel version of its Cruze compact sedan, aiming to poach customers from the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Mazda will also offer a diesel version of the all-new Mazda6.

SEE ALSO: Upcoming Diesel Cars

Volkswagen has long been a lonely bastion for U.S. diesel buyers by offering a variety of turbocharged oil burners. But BMW is jumping in with its 328d and Audi is launching its own salvo by offering four models with its 3.0-liter turbodiesel: the A8, A7, A6 and Q5 SUV.

The U.S. market for diesel cars is still small, but that’s due in part to the fact that they generally cost thousands more then their gas siblings. Diesel also costs about 10 cents more per gallon.

Automakers reaching for the government’s lofty 54.5 mpg CAFE requirements by 2025 will look favorably on diesels for their efficiency, which helps explain the broad product push. Apart from that, Euro 6 emissions standards will come into play in September, 2014, essentially leveling current disparities blocking most European diesels from the U.S.

[Source: Forbes]

Last year at the New York Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz debuted its GLK250 BlueTEC and the German automaker has revealed that it’ll be priced from $38,950 excluding a $905 destination charge.

The compact crossover is powered by a 2.1-liter diesel engine with 200 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque and is $1,500 over the base-model GLK350. But buyers will also get standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive on the GLK250 BlueTEC, which is a $2,000 option for the GLK350.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK Diesel Debuts: 2012 New York Auto Show

The German automaker also lists EPA-estimated fuel economy figures for the GLK250 at 24 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. For those conscience about their fuel mileage, the GLK250 is clearly the way to go considering the GLK350 is rated at 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Discuss this story at BenzForum.com

Diesel engines continue to flood the US market with one of the next models set to gain the gas-alternative powertrain being the 2015 Mercedes C-Class.

The new engine will be a 2.1-liter turbodiesel, which will also be offered in the GLK250 BlueTec crossover that goes on sale tomorrow, April 30th. That engine is also expected to replace the current 3.0-liter V6 diesel currently on offer in the E-Class, with sales beginning this September.

As for what to expect in the C-Class diesel, Mercedes says the GLK model with the same engine delivers 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy with a rating of 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway compared to 19/24 mpg in the GLK350. The GLK250BlueTec is rated at 200 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.

SEE ALSO: Diesel Car Sales Increase 24 Percent in Two Years

While there are currently no other diesel offering in the compact luxury segment, BMW has announced it will offer a 328d starting this year. While no fuel economy specifications have been announced it will cost roughly $7,000 more than a gasoline-powered 328i.

Audi will also join its German rivals with reports indicating an A4 TDI will arrive in 2015.

With the introduction of the C250 BlueTec Mercedes will offer six diesel models in the US.

[Source: AutoNews]

Discuss this story at BenzWorld.org

For decades, diesel-powered vehicles have been popular in Europe, but never garnered the same attention in America.

That seems to be changing over the last few years, as more and more US owners are turning to diesel powerplants for their vehicles. According to data from R. L. Polk and Company, clean diesel registrations have increased 24.3 percent from 2010 to 2012. In 2010, registrations of diesel vehicles counted in at 640,779. Two years later in 2012, the tally was upped to 796,794.

Hybrid vehicles on the other hand saw a much bigger increase, from 1,714,966 to 2,290,903 over the same time frame. Total vehicle registrations in the US increased just 2.75 percent over the same time period. Currently, there are over 6.65-million diesel vehicles registered in America while total hybrids are at 2.29 million.

As more and more automakers begin to offer diesel variants to their models, it’s expected that diesel sales will increase significantly over the next few years. States with the most diesel registrations in America are Texas, California, and Florida.

Discuss this story at TheDieselGarage.com

Set to launch this year, the diesel powered Chevrolet Cruze will offer better highway mileage than any non-hybrid passenger car in America, with a rating of 46 mpg.

Chevy says that rating will deliver up to 700 miles of range or roughly 10 hours of driving.

The Cruze Diesel comes equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine making 148 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque with an overboost function that can deliver up to 280 lb-ft for short bursts of power. A 0-60 is estimated at roughly 8.6 seconds.

SEE ALSO: Chevy Cruze Eco Review

Pricing will start at $25,695 including a $810 destination fee with a long list of standard equipment including 18-inch wheels, leather seating, Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system as well as a 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and two years of free maintenance.

“We harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said Gary Altman, chief engineer of the Cruze Diesel. “The Cruze Diesel is the best diesel passenger car out there. Chevrolet is redefining the meaning of great fuel economy with this car.”

The Cruze diesel will go on sale in select markets this Spring, with nationwide availability (as well as sales in Canada) starting in the fall.

GALLERY: Chevy Cruze Diesel

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Discuss this story at CruzeTalk.com

Audi engineers are hard at work on the 2014 A4, planning to make the sedan lighter and more stylish to further differentiate it from the upcoming A3 sedan.

The German automaker is hoping to shave around 220 pounds from the A4′s weight with the body losing around 110 pounds thanks to the use of aluminum, magnesium, and plastic components. Inside, the interior will be more luxurious than what is offered now and will come with a more advanced infotainment system.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Audi A4 Review

The 2014 A4 will also come with a plethora of engine choices including a plug-in hybrid variant that will join the lineup a year after the car is launched. Reports have engine choices to include a 1.4-liter TFSI with 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, two 2.0-liter TFSI offerings with 177 hp and 255 hp, multiple 2.0-liter TDI choices with 122 hp, 136 hp, 150 hp, and 190 hp. Lastly, a pair of 3.0-liter V6 TDI engines will be offered with either 218 hp and 272 hp.

As for the plug-in hybrid, it’ll pair a 2.0-liter TFSI engine with Audi’s e-quattro system. The goal is to allow the A4 plug-in hybrid to travel up to 31 miles on electricity alone.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Discuss this story at Audi-Forums.com

Who is to say that luxury car buyers aren’t affected by high gas prices? If you want to drive in comfort, style, and have the latest high tech goodies in a car, you shouldn’t have to pay more at the pump for it. Here are our picks for the top 10 most fuel friendly luxury cars, ranked in order of their combined city/highway mpg numbers.

Quite a few luxury cars hit the 29 mpg mark combined. The most impressive of the bunch is the Buick LaCrosse, which manage to get solid fuel economy, despite its bigger size. The Infiniti, Mercedes and BMW vehicles make do with a high-power pairing of a six-cylinder engine and an electric motor, which gives the end result of over 300-hp.

The Buicks use a mild hybrid system called eAssist which pairs a 2.4L four-cylinder engine with a conventional automatic, and a compact lithium ion battery to get its impressive fuel economy numbers.