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Chrysler considering diesel minivan for US market

Posted Feb 5th 2007 12:56PM by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: Green, Chrysler


Click on the image for a gallery of high-res shots of the 2008 Chrysler minivans

Thanks to changes in Chrysler's manufacturing plans for European market minivans and the popularity of Jeep diesels, the US market may eventually get diesel minivans. For the past decade, the Euro market vans were assembled at a plant in Austria, but the new van production will be consolidated at Chrysler's St. Louis, MO assembly plant. That means that the VM Motori diesel engines that are offered in European vans will be shipped to the US for installation. The current diesel doesn't meet new emissions standards, but Mercedes is developing a new 2.2L two-stage turbo diesel for 2010. This engine should meet all the new emissions standards and since they will be coming to the US anyway, it would make sense to sell some of them in the domestic market. Minivans aren't as mini as they were when the original Dodge Caravan appeared in 1984, and their mileage is less than stellar. A high torque, fuel efficient diesel paired up with a six speed automatic would likely be a very good match for the vans and should prove popular.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

A scaled down Dodge Sprinter, imagine that.

I'm not in the auto industry and it's easy for me to say this but it seems like the industry is so slow to react and change. So the current diesel doesn't meet emissions standards. Why should it take three years to change it so that it does?

Domestic manufacturers better get off their butts with respect to diesels.

VW diesels are back for 2008, followed by Honda (and I'm sure many more) the year after.

52 mpg highway for the diesel Accord - looking forward to that!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2007 12:38PM by Bill in NC.

MB and Audi are coming. Maybe Nissan.

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It's about time US automakers got on the diesel bandwagon for cars instead of only a few pickup trucks. Even toyota needs to get with it for their US vehicles. They've got some nice diesel's in europe, but nada in the US.

The US emissions requirements are significantly tougher than Europe. There is only one diesel car engine in the country this year (MB) and that is only a 45 state car.

BMW is promising diesels too.

Sounds like diesel is hard to find in some areas too. Around here 40% of the 'cars' are 4x4 SUVs or trucks - so lots of diesel trucks and 60% of the stations carry diesel.