Car Promises That Weren't Kept

Ever wonder what happened to events in the auto industry that were supposed to occur but didn't? You might have seen a news story on a site like ours of a promise by an automaker that sounded legitimate with lots of potential, but in the end a decision was made and it never happened. We look back at a few from the past decade.

Lotus' New Lineup
Think back to November 2010, when Lotus unleashed its soon-to-come lineup into the lower halls of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The niche automaker had four near-production sports cars — the Elite, Esprit, Elan and Elise — plus a four-door concept called the Eterne. All five came fresh from the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The reception in America was phenomenal; Lotus even slapped model years as early as 2013 on some of them.

Turns out we were California dreamin'.

2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec 4Matic Diesel: First Drive

Small crossovers are all the rage these days, one of the fastest-growing sales segments in the U.S. market at all price points. From the less-expensive Hyundais and Kias at the bottom end to the high-priced luxury versions like the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK, Americans seemingly can't get enough of them.

We reviewed the newly restyled 2013 GLK350 last summer, with News Editor Jennifer Geiger finding it a bit compromised in V-6 form, with a smallish interior, fussy audio and navigation system, and styling that's aimed at a male demographic (making the vehicle's public debut as Samatha's ride in the "Sex and the City" movie somewhat odd).

But now Mercedes-Benz is introducing the second powertrain for the GLK, with the arrival of the GLK250 Bluetec diesel, making the GLK the most fuel-efficient luxury crossover in the country. That suddenly makes the little trucklet a bit more interesting.

GM Expects EPA to Rate 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel at 27/46 MPG

GM said today the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze diesel will get an EPA rating of 27/46 mpg city/highway with its standard six-speed automatic transmission. The highway rating represents the highest of any non-hybrid car in the U.S., GM says, but the EPA's combined rating — 33 mpg — is just 2 mpg better than a gas-powered Cruze Eco with its automatic. It also falls 1 mpg short of the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI with its six-speed auto.

The Cruze diesel's turbo-diesel 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 148 horsepower and, typical of diesels, a prodigious 258 pounds-feet of torque. An overboost mode can crank out as much as 280 pounds-feet for short bursts. GM says the car hits 60 mph in 8.6 seconds, which beats the Jetta TDI's 8.7-second rating by a smidge.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI

With its roomy backseat, ample trunk and sky-high fuel-economy numbers, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI has the makings of a perfect family-friendly sedan. But Cars.com Family reviewer Carrie Kim had some mixed feelings about this clean-diesel car because of its unforgiving six-speed manual transmission. She says to skip the stick and try the dual-clutch automatic transmission instead.

2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Family Review

Diesel Engine Coming to BMW 5 Series Lineup

BMW plans to offer a six-cylinder diesel engine in its 5 Series midsize luxury sedan in the second half of 2013. The debut joins a new diesel engine option for the 3 Series. Dubbed 328d, the compact luxury car uses a turbo four-cylinder diesel engine. Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW of North America, said the numerical designation for the 5 Series diesel hasn't been decided on yet.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

The last time BMW offered a six-cylinder diesel in one of its U.S. passenger cars was the 335d, sold from the 2009 to 2011 model years. Rated at 265 horsepower, the turbocharged diesel engine developed a commanding 425 pounds-feet of torque for impressive off-the-line performance. Six-cylinder diesel versions of the 5 Series already available in Europe offer similar levels of torque.

After years on the margins in the passenger-car segment, diesels are on the upswing in the U.S., and the gains are most apparent in the luxury segment. Audi plans to sell diesel versions of nearly all its passenger cars; BMW hasn't made that big of a commitment to the U.S. market, but it appears willing to test the waters a little more.

Oops! Presidential Limo Filled With Wrong Fuel

President Barack Obama is in Israel today, but he's not going anywhere. The presidential limo, which was brought from Washington, D.C., for the visit, was disabled because it was accidentally filled with the wrong type of fuel. Multiple sources have reported conflicting information — either the diesel-powered Cadillac was erroneously filled with gasoline or the gas-powered car got a diesel top-off. General Motors spokesman David Caldwell couldn't clarify matters, saying only that GM is not permitted to disclose the limo's engine specs. 

Regardless, according to our friends at Car Talk, this could be a costly mistake — if accidentally filled with diesel, the tank would need to be emptied, and depending on how much made its way through the fuel lines, the fuel lines and possibly the oxygen sensors need to be replaced. 

Diesel Model Joins BMW 3 Series Lineup

BMW's compact 3 Series lineup continues to grow. A new wagon variant goes on sale this spring, and the swoopy Gran Turismo hatchback will follow this summer. On the heels of those new models is the diesel-powered 2014 328d. It'll debut later this month at the New York International Auto Show.

Powering the compact sedan is a turbocharged four-cylinder. BMW pegs output at 180 horsepower and a robust 280 pounds-feet of torque; it quotes a zero-to-60 time of around 7.2 seconds. Fuel-economy figures aren't in yet, but the automaker says to expect "mileage that could well-exceed 40 mpg." Rear- and all-wheel-drive versions will be available and a wagon version should follow the sedan. BMW wouldn't comment on the timing of the wagon's launch, however.

Also at the auto show, BMW will unveil the Concept Active Tourer plug-in hybrid. The long, wedgy concept uses a three-cylinder engine and an electric motor for BMW-estimated fuel economy of 95 mpg.

The GT, 328d and Concept Active Tourer will be on display at the show. Press days are March 27 and 28.

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Jeep to Add Diesel to Wrangler Lineup

The next Jeep in line for a diesel engine is the Wrangler, according to Wards Auto. Jeep CEO Mike Manley told the website that the automaker plans to add the powertrain to the lineup after the Wrangler's 2015-16 redesign.

Manley believes demand for a diesel-powered Wrangler continues to grow. "I'm confident that the Grand Cherokee will show just how large a demand there is for diesel, and I think what that will do is reinforce the need for us to target Wrangler as a vehicle that can take a diesel," he told Wards.

For the 2014 model year, Jeep added a 240-horsepower, 3.0-liter diesel V-6 to the Grand Cherokee lineup. It'll also be offered on the Ram 1500. Check out our review of the new diesel Grand Cherokee here.

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Wrangler Diesel Likely After '15 Refresh (Wards Auto)
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