MINI Diesel Still Under Consideration for U.S.
At the recent “ MINI Takes The States” road rally, its head of U.S. product strategy, Patrick McKenna, said that the British automaker is still considering a diesel model for the U.S. market.
The dilemma that the automaker is having is whether or not a diesel model will attract new customers to the brand. One of its main concerns is that customers that would have bought a gas variant MINI would just opt for a diesel one instead. Not that that’s a bad thing, but MINI would want to build a larger consumer base if it was to introduce a diesel model stateside.
Since the automaker does have limited resources, investing into a diesel model could hurt the brand more than help. Currently MINI is working on a new generation of powerplants, which McKenna claimed will offer more performance and better fuel efficiency than current powerplants. If we were to however see a diesel model, chances are it would end up on one of the other end vehicles in MINI’s lineup. The Countryman would be a good candidate, with its higher base price helping to deter some of the diesel’s additional costs in development.
[Source: Autoblog Green]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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At the moment I drive a VW Jetta TDI. Love the efficiency and wouldn't consider a Mini unless it was a diesel. Once you're spoiled with such good mpg numbers, you don't want to take less. Bottom line is I would be a new Mini customer if there was a diesel engine option.
I too drive a VW Jetta TDI. I have always liked the MINI, but like Cyclerosis do not want to give up the mileage of my TDI especially considering the MINI requires premium gas. Come on MINI, bring us a diesel variant!