Diesel, for some car manufactures it’s simply a dirty word. Toyota is realizing
that competitors are having no problem selling diesel powered automobiles in
some markets such as India and Europe. Toyota has responded by putting a small
diesel engine in the best selling car in the world, the Corolla. Could a diesel
powered version of the best selling Corolla make it to the United States? The
tenth generation of the Toyota Corolla (E140) is a world car that is produced in
19 cities all across the globe. This is the most refined Corolla yet and is
offered with nine gasoline engine and one diesel engine. Reception has been
mixed for this new model. Some media outlets have critisised the styling to
similar to the previous model Corolla while others have praised the styling.
Toyota ND
The Toyota ND is a small inline four-cylinder turbocharged diesel that produces 90 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 140 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 to 3,000 rpm. Combined fuel consumption is 58.8 mpg which would be great for the North American market. This engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The only down side to this engine is some people have said it is slightly underpowered for the Corolla. Perhaps if Toyota prepared a diesel Corolla for the United States it would be fitted with a 2.0L unit rather than the 1.4L.
I’m interested in what people think about this subject. Do you think that a
small affordable diesel version of the Toyota Corolla could be a success in the
North American market? I think that the Toyota Corolla Diesel would do well here
in the United States. With fuel prices continually rising, 58.8 combined mpg
sure sounds good.
