Diesel Volvo in Canada?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Corso
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Corso

Me: Does Volvo NA plan to introduce a diesel Volvo - preferably sedan in the
future?

Volvo: We build our
vehicles based on rigid standards and on consumer demand. Canadian
diesel fuel standards have sulfur readings that are too high and cetane
readings that are too low (minimum European cetane ratings are 48;
Canadian cetane ratings are low 40's). At this time we do not have any
plan for diesel engines.


Lucky Europeans!

What about in the U.S - any new diesel versions there?

Corso
 
Low sulphur fuel is coming in 2006-7, you might start to see some diesels
then. VW has a Passat TDI out now, it's similar size to a Volvo sedan.
Mercedes is releasing their E-class diesel again this year as well (might be
a little much, in the monetary department)
 
Corso said:
Me: Does Volvo NA plan to introduce a diesel Volvo - preferably sedan in the
future?

Volvo: We build our
vehicles based on rigid standards and on consumer demand. Canadian
diesel fuel standards have sulfur readings that are too high and cetane
readings that are too low (minimum European cetane ratings are 48;
Canadian cetane ratings are low 40's). At this time we do not have any
plan for diesel engines.


Lucky Europeans!

What about in the U.S - any new diesel versions there?
Click to expand...


If they're not offered in Canada you can pretty much bet they won't be here
any time soon, Canada seems to be much more european, kinda refreshing to
visit, not that I particularly dislike where I live.
 
The MPG advantage of diesel is so great that I bet once a regulatory schema
is reached we will see many diesels in the USA. Diesel is too small now to
support the many different variations of passenger car fuel that have spread
across the USA.
 
Steve n Holly said:
The MPG advantage of diesel is so great that I bet once a regulatory schema
is reached we will see many diesels in the USA. Diesel is too small now to
support the many different variations of passenger car fuel that have spread
across the USA.
Click to expand...

Depends on the car, the Diesel Volvos that we did get here in the US hardly
got any better mileage than the gas ones. The '86 245 that my mom drives
recently got over 31 MPG on the highway, from what Diesel owners have said,
they generally get around 28mpg on the highway and the engine is less
powerful.
 
I am unable to answer the question here, I think we would need to know
engine size (cc's), HP and configuration (sohc, dohc, ohv) and fuel
injection system to know best.

In any case the new Diesels use technologies that were not available in the
passenger vehicle space until quite recently, the technology of direct
injection of fuel into the combustion chamber, so 1980's technology does not
really apply well.

Perhaps the 245 diesel was configured to perform best in a urban stop and go
environment--e.g. low gear ratio (high numbers) and transmission ratios
optimized for urban rather then over the road use...I just don't know, but I
DO know that the new direct injection diesels will give you better mpg's
then a spark inhibition engine of similar size and HP, while delivering
loads of bonus torque.
 
Steve n Holly said:
I am unable to answer the question here, I think we would need to know
engine size (cc's), HP and configuration (sohc, dohc, ohv) and fuel
injection system to know best.

In any case the new Diesels use technologies that were not available in the
passenger vehicle space until quite recently, the technology of direct
injection of fuel into the combustion chamber, so 1980's technology does not
really apply well.

Perhaps the 245 diesel was configured to perform best in a urban stop and go
environment--e.g. low gear ratio (high numbers) and transmission ratios
optimized for urban rather then over the road use...I just don't know, but I
DO know that the new direct injection diesels will give you better mpg's
then a spark inhibition engine of similar size and HP, while delivering
loads of bonus torque.
Click to expand...


Oh I know the new ones are MUCH better, just saying that what we got over
here left much to be desired. Around town a diesel 240 doesn't do any better
than a gasoline one, in some cases it gets worse mileage.
 
When it comes down to it though do you really want a diesel?
They are noisy (and someone is bound to point out the modern ones are much
better now and agreed they are, but still not as good as a modern petrol
engine), they are poluting (again the new ones are significantly better but
still worse for the most harmful pollutants - particulates, sulphur by
products and NOx emmsions - the only thing they are better at is the CO2
emmisions) and they aren't nearly as much fun to drive. On top of all that
the fuel is a carcinogen and can be absorbed directly through the skin...
not nice!
Add to the mix the masses of torque and the way that can be hard to control
on snowy roads and I'll stick to my more expensive to run petrol car (and
convert it to LPG to get the lower running costs that diesels have)...

It seems to me the big push to diesels in Europe is a function of the Kyoto
protocol to reduce green house gasses and since the diesel has much lower
CO2 emmisions it is very popular with governments... pity they don't look at
the wider issues though.
 
On the comment on snowy roads - with a diesel you can easily start in 2nd
and in 3rd gear as needed... I drove a 5-speed Jetta for work thru the
winter last year and never had a problem, on ice put it into 3rd, on snow
used 2nd gear.... I have an automatic (4-spd) TDI Golf and even with poor
quality all season tires (got rid of them this spring) I never had an issue
with grip.... It's better in snow then our 960, that's for sure.
 
AB said:
When it comes down to it though do you really want a diesel?
They are noisy (and someone is bound to point out the modern ones are much
better now and agreed they are, but still not as good as a modern petrol
engine), they are poluting (again the new ones are significantly better but
still worse for the most harmful pollutants - particulates, sulphur by
products and NOx emmsions - the only thing they are better at is the CO2
emmisions) and they aren't nearly as much fun to drive. On top of all that
the fuel is a carcinogen and can be absorbed directly through the skin...
not nice!
Add to the mix the masses of torque and the way that can be hard to control
on snowy roads and I'll stick to my more expensive to run petrol car (and
convert it to LPG to get the lower running costs that diesels have)...

It seems to me the big push to diesels in Europe is a function of the Kyoto
protocol to reduce green house gasses and since the diesel has much lower
CO2 emmisions it is very popular with governments... pity they don't look at
the wider issues though.
Click to expand...


I rather like decent Diesels, if I could get a nice modern one in a Volvo
I'd certainly have some interest. I love my gasoline turbo but with fuel
getting pricey (yeah I know, it's cheap here in comparison) other options
are beginning to look more attractive. Those silly new hybrids will get 50+
mpg, but I find it hard to be impressed, my parents had a diesel Topaz (same
as a Ford Tempo) back in the early 80's that while the interior was
obviously cheaply made, still managed almost 60 mpg, drove nicely, and even
more remarkably, the interior remained intact in a 40 mph rollover accident.

Not to mention diesel engines lend themselves nicely to alternative fuels.
 
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