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DIESEL 'INVASION' SET FOR NEW LUXURY SEDANS LED BY VW AND BMW

By Mac Gordon
Senior Editor-at-large

AUTO CENTRAL - August 10, 2014: New U.S. VW chief Michael Horn sees fast cars fading out as all VW brands are “dieselized.” Single and twin turbo engines will offset power changes. New MPG Regs dictate need to dictate changes.

30 years of popular Golf cars to be joined with by Jetta, Beatle, Touareg, Tiguan and Passat. However, hybrid engines do lose interest as not as smooth as diesels or electrics. Will VW rivals follow suit? Only if diesel engines lag in acceptance-unlikely at best!

However, though Herr Horn acknowledged that he faces heated rivalry on the diesel front, Mercedes-Benz could jump in along with BMW to round out VW's push as soon as BMW does and if Mercedes does. There's no love lost among German automakers.

Turbocharged engines, hatchback SUV's, identical transmissions and dual clutches, all lead to 30 years of a Golf GTD (D for diesel!) As for the youthful Mike Horn, he led into the 30-year run of the Golf GTI, a near record for any Beatle suspension except the Bug. And the Passat sedan appears to be the next of kin. Built in Chattanooga by, UAW local union.

As often happens, Germany's BMW unfurled its own diesel plans 7-19, with a made-in-Munich diesel rollout chart in the LA Times, Lead-off BMW diesel sedan is the 535d, priced at $57,525 base. Options lift the BMW to $66,425, with a 3.0L turbo engine, rear-wheel-drive, 255 hp, zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and 38 mpg country.

There is competition from rivals Mercedes and Audi, but all diesel sedans are 2014 models and could be boosted by the 2015 model year for the all-German campaign.

Mercedes, for example, has a base price of $52,325 and Audi $58,395. The list prices in no case undercut $50,000 nor top $60,000. Now that's bargains and should include 100 percent paid maintenance and rear cameras.

Editor's Note: “The Big 3 of German engineering, “will they trump the Japanese and U.S. Big 3 with diesels o their own? Not a no no, but a “nein nein”!