Diesel Minivans on the Horizon

Chrysler Preparing Diesel Minivans for US Market

Posted February 7 2007 11:35 AM by esanchez
Filed under: Diesel News, Diesel Observations, Diesel Suvs, Light-Duty Truck Diesels, Dodge

According to a recent report, DaimlerChrysler is developing a new high-performance turbo-diesel four-cylinder that it may offer in future Dodge and Chrysler minivans for the U.S. market. The engine, codenamed OM651, is reportedly so clean that it will meet emissions standards in all 50 states through 2010.

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Although only displacing 2.2 liters, thanks to dual-stage turbocharging and advanced injection technology, it is said to produce as much or more power than the 2.8L VM Motori engine that was used in the late Liberty CRD. That same engine was also offered as an option in Euro-spec Voyagers built in Austria.

Lending creedence to this rumor is the fact that minivan production in Austria will soon end, consolidating minivan production in North America, between the St. Louis plant, and another in Windsor, Ontario.

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Reader Comments:

1. i dont see the advantage to diesel minivans. the segments shrinking due to the appeal of crossovers which, to be blunt, make even the best minivan look like some sort of bloated beetle. it's the intangibles that's leading to minivans downfall, not their power or features.

joela - Posted February 8 2007 06:00 PM

2. I live in Seattle out in the Pacific Northwest. I guarantee you that a diesel minivan would sell like hotcakes in my town. Biofuel represents a rapidly expanding market. It is difficult to find family-style vehicles that run diesel. People are buying up old mercedes diesel wagons and difficult-to-find-without-spending-an-arm-and-a-leg VW jetta wagons and passats. There is even a company converting old VW vanagons and volvo 240 wagons (vintage '87-90) to diesel versions (selling for over $17k!). For me it doesn't have to do with 'intangibles'. It has to do with good fuel mileage. It has to do with utilizing a domestically produced and (in my opinion) environmentally responsible fuel option while providing transportation for a family of 4 and a dog. Some crossovers look cool, but there's not as much room to stretch out.

seabaldy - Posted March 25 2007 12:12 PM

3. Businesses all over the country will go ape for a more durable minivan for service industries. North America is about the only place in the world they are not all over! I will buy them for delivery vans to replace our worn out Astros.

banks - Posted April 18 2007 09:27 PM

4. i had a 92 voyager with a 3.3 v6 got 27 mpg highway a small diesel would get 50 highway and 20 city.

TBISilverado - Posted April 3 2008 08:21 AM

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