Uchikura & Co., LLC

Where Have All the Diesel Passenger Cars Gone?

If you look at the U.S. automobile market today, it is difficult to find a new diesel passenger car. Diesel engines are still common in pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, and heavy equipment, but for ordinary passenger cars they have almost disappeared.

 

Japan is a little different.

 

While diesel passenger cars are no longer mainstream in Japan, they have not vanished completely. Mazda continues to offer several diesel-powered vehicles, including the CX-5, CX-60, and CX-80. Toyota also offers diesel engines in some larger SUVs and commercial vehicles. As a result, it is still possible to buy a new diesel-powered passenger vehicle in Japan today.

 

The reason diesel has declined is not because diesel engines are inherently bad. Modern emissions regulations have made diesel engines more complex and expensive. At the same time, hybrid technology has become extremely popular, especially in Japan. Many drivers who once chose diesel for fuel economy now choose hybrids instead.

 

I have always appreciated diesel engines. Older Mercedes-Benz diesel cars were famous for their durability, fuel efficiency, and ability to travel hundreds of thousands of miles. I owned both E-Class and S-Class Mercedes diesels and still miss them today.

 

Diesel may no longer dominate the passenger car market, but in Japan it is still alive—just in a much smaller niche than before.

 

Sometimes I wonder if there is still a place for a simple, inexpensive diesel passenger car. Not a luxury vehicle, not a high-tech hybrid, but a dependable workhorse that delivers excellent fuel economy and can run for hundreds of thousands of miles. Judging by the continued popularity of diesel vehicles in commercial applications, I suspect there are still many drivers who would appreciate such a car if manufacturers chose to build one.