According to Carpoint Australia, Holden, General Motor's Australian division, is working on a turbodiesel version of the new Holden Commodore, which is expected to be the basis for many of the upcoming rear-wheel-drive models for the United States.

In a somewhat ironic twist, the 3.0L turbodiesel V-6 will be supplied by VM Motori, an Italian manufacturer of diesel engines, which is 49 percent owned by DaimlerChrysler.

No mention was made if this engine will be compliant with strict upcoming EPA and CARB emissions standards for diesels. Most likely, it will be a home market-only option.

However, it's well-known that GM is working on a number of diesel powerplants of its own, though mostly in the light truck segment. Will we see GM passenger-car diesels in the near future? Although GM does have some negative diesel car baggage from the 1980s, perhaps enough time has passed that the memory of those unreliable old clunkers is distant enough that they can make a fresh start in the diesel market.