The 2018 Detroit Auto Show was host to a few important debuts of new diesel-powered vehicles, which signals that diesels could be making a bit of a comeback.
With the Volkswagen Group diesel scandal wiping out a significant number of diesel vehicle options from the marketplace, things didn’t look too good for diesel cars in general with regulators putting diesels under increased scrutiny, but things appear to be taking a turn soon.
According to the 2018 Fuel Economy Guide report, there are 13 diesel offerings from five different automakers (we are counting each nameplate as one offering despite a diesel being offered for varying body styles, for example, the Chevrolet Cruze, which offers a diesel hatchback and sedan). That may seem like a meager number but with the recent announcements of diesel versions of the new Jeep Wrangler, Kia Sorento, Ford F-150, GMC Silverado, and RAM 1500, the number of diesel cars for sale this year is expected to grow. Mazda is supposed to be bringing diesels to North America soon as well.
At the beginning of 2017, the 2017 Fuel Economy Guide report listed 16 total diesel offerings for sale in the U.S. but that number quickly dwindled when some automakers on the list such as Mercedes-Benz and Jeep pulled some of their models from the segment.
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This year, the number of diesel models available on the market and diesel sales in total are expected to surpass 2017’s figures. Diesel sales for 2016 in the U.S. were about 110,000 units and that doesn’t even include the additional sales boost from domestic heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks.
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