Are We Finally Going to See Some More Turbo-Diesels?

Since when I first began being interested in vehicles, I always wondered why North America wasn't taking the same initiative as Europe when it came to turbo-diesel technology. Turbo-diesel engines are fuel efficient, have tons of torque, and are being under-utilized by most manufacturers.

Luckily, this might soon change. I read an article on Left Lane News (source) about how Cummins is working together with Nissan and the Department of Energy to create a four-cylinder engine that just might change the North American pick-up industry forever.

Rumor has it that Nissan actually has a fully-functional prototype in a testing phase - boasting a 2.8 liter engine and 3.8 liter engine. But the important part of this post is how this will affect driver's wallet. Just how efficient is this damn engine in comparison to what's already on the market?

In comparison to the current Nissan Titan (which may soon have a turbo diesel) the increase in fuel efficiency is approximately double.

Although the new Nissan Titan isn't scheduled until 2016, other manufacturers are likely to follow suit, and you can bet your ass that I'll have a turbo-diesel pickup on my shopping list in a 5 or 6 years.