New diesel choices?

[Dieselnut59]

Have any of yall heard of any new diesel choices to be available in the US? I want either a small/mid size truck or SUV with a diesel and manual transmission. I prefer 4x4. Anything?

 

[MVenditti]

Mahindra, The company that makes tractors in India is selling small pickup with diesel here now. Manual or auto.

 

[Dieselnut59]

Really? I had heard a while back about these... Got any info?

 

[bheiting]

Check out Mahindra truck USA. It looks like a compact pickup with a 2. 2L common
rail diesel. A 1. 3 ton payload????? Something doesn't add up.

 

[Skydiver]

Hello Dodge !! There is a hole in the market and it's about to be filled. I really do not like the fact that our good ole USA can't wake up. Clean diesel regs. need to be relaxed for a few years till our economy recovers.

HHMMM,,,Mahindra. Name sounds weird, but the forum reviews I've been reading from people in Austrailia and India have been great. They say the 2. 2 liter we'll get will be better that the 2. 6 they get to run.

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What does a good used VW pickup sell for now? LOTS. I really want to buy American products.

 

[mickeyblueyes]

What does a good used VW pickup sell for now? LOTS. I really want to buy American products.
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[rscurtis]

I've said it before and I'll say it again- if this takes off it will certainly get the big (smaller) three's attention. Personally, while the idea of a diesel powered 1500 series may appeal to some, I think the real market is a Dakota, Canyon, or Ranger sized truck with a 150-200 HP 4-cylinder engine. There won't be any real fuel economy advantage to a 1500 series diesel, since it is the same size (and cost) as a HD with just lighter running gear. And since they're still talking about 300+ HP engines, there won't be any fuel economy advantage to speak of. Additionally, the smaller trucks will be less likely to steal market share from the HD segment.

 

[Mishkaya]

I've said it before and I'll say it again- if this takes off it will certainly get the big (smaller) three's attention. Personally, while the idea of a diesel powered 1500 series may appeal to some, I think the real market is a Dakota, Canyon, or Ranger sized truck with a 150-200 HP 4-cylinder engine. There won't be any real fuel economy advantage to a 1500 series diesel, since it is the same size (and cost) as a HD with just lighter running gear. And since they're still talking about 300+ HP engines, there won't be any fuel economy advantage to speak of. Additionally, the smaller trucks will be less likely to steal market share from the HD segment.

Agreed. I have been waiting for something the size of a Ranger/Canyon with a Diesel engine for years now. I still can't believe none of the Japanese companies have offered one yet; considering they have them everywhere else in the world...

 

[Dieselnut59]

Agreed. I have been waiting for something the size of a Ranger/Canyon with a Diesel engine for years now. I still can't believe none of the Japanese companies have offered one yet; considering they have them everywhere else in the world...

That is what I am thinking! Nissan, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Toyota all have current diesel engines that meet the very strict emission standards for forklifts. They are basically the same engines offered in little trucks elsewhere in the world. A diesel engine in a forklift will get damn near twice the fuel economy as the gasoline version. These little trucks make tremendous power out of a small displacement engine. They are what we need for fuel economy in a little truck. I do not want a car for excellent fuel economy, as I am really not a car person. I would be thrilled with a small to mid size truck with a 2. 5 liter 4 cylinder (in the Ranger/S-10 sized truck) or a 3. 0 liter inline 6, similar to my 1987 Mercedes's engine in a Dakota sized truck. I do not want a high powered 1500 size truck. I have two 3500 trucks. If I need power, I get in one of those. If I need to run to town to pick up a couple hundred pounds of feed or a dozen bales of hay or straw, I do not NEED to use a big truck and to suffer the fuel economy loss. PLEASE BRING US A DIESEL MINI TRUCK!

Now, how the hell do we get our hands on a Mahindra to check it out? I have heard excellent things about their tractors (bang for the buck) and the trucks supposedly use the same engines, which is time proven. Also explains why they are exclusively diesel (LOVE that!), BUT the website says they are "Standard" with 6 speed automatic transmission... . THAT I am NOT at all interested in. My Liberty's fuel economy is slaughtered by the constantly shifting automatic transmission. I want a MANUAL small diesel truck for REAL fuel economy!!

 

[Dieselnut59]

It says their USA truck headquarters is in Alpharetta Georgia and the number is 770-753-4441

It also says they are ONLY available with automatic! dammit!

 

[rscurtis]

In the same venue, I think Ford shot themselves in the foot (again?) by not offering the Transit Connect with a diesel option. Makes sense when you figure that the latest Sprinter is diesel only (after a short period of having a 3. 0 gas engine available), and the VW Jetta Sportwagon I believe is diesel only now, as diesel sales were 80% on that vehicle. I view the TC in the same light as the Smart Car- they require you to sacrifice a lot, but you don't get much in return.

 

[MVenditti]

Really? I had heard a while back about these... Got any info?

Sounds like good low cost truck, I like the look, reminds me of old style small trucks simple and cheap. Do a search for Mahindra and you should find info.

 

[MVenditti]

In those Countries you don't find repair shops and such on every corner so trucks like this and land cruisers have to be tough and reliable. JMO

 

[Mishkaya]

In the same venue, I think Ford shot themselves in the foot (again?) by not offering the Transit Connect with a diesel option. Makes sense when you figure that the latest Sprinter is diesel only (after a short period of having a 3. 0 gas engine available), and the VW Jetta Sportwagon I believe is diesel only now, as diesel sales were 80% on that vehicle. .

The Jetta Sportwagen is still available in a gasoline model, although sales have been very high on the diesel versions. I was thinking about getting one, but prices are still way too steep on them at this point for my budget... :{

 

[Skydiver]

What does a good used VW pickup sell for now? LOTS. I really want to buy American products.

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What I'm saying is those old and hard to find VW pickup diesels are in high demand. That means we have a market for a light duty pickup.



I wish so bad that our country would produce the vehicles we all want and need.

 

[rbattelle]

Agreed. I have been waiting for something the size of a Ranger/Canyon with a Diesel engine for years now. I still can't believe none of the Japanese companies have offered one yet; considering they have them everywhere else in the world...

We've been around this block for many years now, and I'm convinced it will never happen. In fact, I predict the demise of the few small diesel cars available (VW) in the US.

Diesel option cost is about to rocket (or has already?) due to the emissions requirements (ref. Diesel Progress). This is why 2010 base model diesel Rams start at $36k. The little bit of extra fuel economy from the diesel will never pay off the option price compared with a gas engine.

I think this places small diesel vehicles right out of the price range of most people looking to buy a small vehicle. The initial investment will never pay off, even with great fuel economy.

Just wait until the costs hit the major carriers, who can only run older equipment for so long before it's too much of a liability.

As usual, I blame the EPA. Some day, when we're all living in our adobe huts and not breathing (lest we release toxic CO2), we'll reminisce about what it was like to drive.

Ryan
P. S. - I can't help but wonder if even the 3/4 and 1-ton class diesel market might also be endangered.

I wish so bad that our country would produce the vehicles we all want and need.

Problem is, our freedom to choose what we want is in the process of being removed, to be replaced by "regulation" that dictates what we want. Eventually, every 3rd person will be issued a vehicle by the Department of Transportation and the rest of us will need to carpool with them.

 

[mickeyblueyes]

Well that clears it up ,I thing all of us would wait on line with a check in hand to purchase a small diesel power pickup. 4 cylinder with a 2000# payload and 3500 # towing capacity , A simple interior like non electric mirrors or window or locks or seats , vinyl floor fabric seats bench seat for 3. locking diffs. and a low range transmission. No radio or gps we will put our own in, and a set of BF Goodrich mud terrains . And ! we dont want a 13 gallon fuel tank put a 25 0r 30 gallon tank in it.

 

[Dieselnut59]

Well that clears it up ,I thing all of us would wait on line with a check in hand to purchase a small diesel power pickup. 4 cylinder with a 2000# payload and 3500 # towing capacity , A simple interior like non electric mirrors or window or locks or seats , vinyl floor fabric seats bench seat for 3. locking diffs. and a low range transmission. No radio or gps we will put our own in, and a set of BF Goodrich mud terrains . And ! we dont want a 13 gallon fuel tank put a 25 0r 30 gallon tank in it.

I agree with YOU and DISAGREE with the skeptics. The fact is, the manufacturers who build diesel engines for other equipment besides vehicles (Mahindra, Isuzu, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagon, Mitsubishi) have an edge because they already must meet nearly as strict off road emission standards. These manufacturers have one engine of each "size" and offer it in a off road and an on road version. Problem with the "big (dwindling) three" is they would have to source the small diesel engines from somewhere else. I am seriously surprised none of them have gone to Kubota or John Deere for engines. The new tractor engines pack a lot of punch in a small, clean running little package.

By the way, the same "skepticism" was common before off road equipment was required to meet the most strict ever emissions hurdle in 2004. There were a few bugs to work out, but the positive side to it is diesel engine forklifts are now clean enough to run in warehouses (and without the explosion risk of propane).

I just want a nice little "no frills" manual transmission truck about like mickeyblueyes said. Actually, I want a vehicle that is being produced HERE, yet is not available for sale here... . the Jeep Wrangler CRD.

 

[DGamelin]

We buy, sell and repair tractors. The mahindra tractors are not all made by them. The best of them are not made by them. When we looked into selling them, the small ones were made by Mitsubishi. Two in the middle were the same ones that TYM sells they looked good and the larger ones were made by Mahindra. It is easy to tell witch ones are made in India. The casting looked like they were poured in a sand box, the casting are crude. The machine work isn't any better, You will never stop them from leaking. If you're going to park that truck in your garage you will probably need a good size drip pan. You will GET what you pay for.



If you want something to work on don't forget the old chevy luv made buy Isuzu. They're hard to find but they are out there and they made a 4x4.



Maybe we will get lucky and fiat will put a there diesel in a dakota and leave our big trucks alone. I can see a niche for a mid size diesel trucks also with mpg in mind. I have wanted to put a BT4 in a dakota for years.



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93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 268k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 94k

 

[rscurtis]

I would agree with rbatelle except for the fact that people will pony up the extra freight for a hybrid, with almost no fuel economy benefit. The hybrid GMC 1500 is a perfect example- sure, it can carry a payload on batteries only(they don't say how far), and rave about its 21 MPG highway rating. The other reason diesel hasn't taken off yet in this country is that most of the offerings, except the Jetta and soon available Golf, are luxury cars. Most people won't pay 45K + for an Audi, BMW or Mercedes just to save fuel. If, however, you're in the market for something like that, I think they're a good choice.