Better Late than Oily: America will have to wait for diesel MINI
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the MINI Cooper D in the ABG Garage
While the new electric MINI E is proving even more popular than expected and the Cooper D continues to sell big across the pond, MINI has been contemplating bringing the diesel hatch Stateside. However, the current diesel in the Cooper D, which AutoblogGreen drove last summer, isn't deemed clean enough for U.S. emissions regulations. While previous reports suggested a modified version of the current Cooper D could make the trip across the Atlantic to the land of heavily-taxed diesel fuel, company spokesmen now say it could have to wait until a next-generation clean-burning diesel can be developed for the MINI.
Although the artificially high price of diesel in the United States has prevented oil-burning vehicles from taking the lead here, MINI points out that the price difference between the premium gasoline their vehicles require and ordinary diesel is actually quite a bit more manageable. Add to that equation the 60 miles per gallon a diesel MINI being tested by Bosch here in the good old U S of A gets and a diesel Cooper is making more sense by the minute.
Gallery: ABG Garage: 2008 MINI Cooper D
[Source: USA Today via Kicking Tires]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Killroy 11:39PM (2/10/2009)
Wow 60MPG Diesel, that is something that I even like. While oil and emission wise diesel is a cheater. A gallon of Diesel is 15% more energy and carbon dense, so 60MPG Diesel, is more like 51 MPG gas, so its not really going to beat a well driven Prius, especially in the emission and cost category.
Noah Joseph, I think you are totally wrong about the declaring diesel "artificially high (in) price" and "heavily-taxed diesel fuel". Diesel and gas is taxed the same amount, check it out http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp
Heavily taxed? Over in Europe which has much more expensive fuel, diesel gets a tax break.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/84192.php
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Throwback 12:22PM (2/11/2009)
Mini sells every car they bring over now. They can afford to wait and bring over a next gen diesel.
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dr61 1:29PM (2/11/2009)
Please get this done, Mini, and make it biodiesel compatible.
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