Mercedes, Audi Betting on Diesels in the US

Diesels have always had to deal with the stigma of being slow, noisy and dirty. But US customers have recently started taking notice of more economical models like the Audi A3 TDI, which accounted for 53 percent of all A3 models sold in America last year. Even SUV fans are switching to oil-burners, as 43 percent of all Q7 units sold last year had TDI engines under their bonnets.

So, Mercedes Benz and Audi are taking notice of the trend and are doubling-down diesel models in their model range. Mercedes-Benz recently rolled the fifth of eight model total planned over the next few year, while Audi is planning to launch diesel versions of the A6 and A8 in the United States as well.

Daimler recently revealed its flagship diesel S-Klasse at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car features an all-wheel drive platform that delivers around 35 mpg US (6.7 l/100km), and should hit dealer’s lots in the second half of this year. According to a Bloomberg article, the German carmaker wants eight diesels in the US line-up by 2014.

“We don’t have to push diesel anymore. Our expansion is being driven by customer demand. The customers who have tried diesel don’t want to switch back,” said the company’s product management vice president, Philipp Schiemer.

Audi is currently enjoying great sales success with TDI-powered A3 and Q7 vehicles in the US and plans to offer diesel in the range-topping A8 and full-sized A6 sedan within two years, according to sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer, who also added that he expects clean diesel models to account for a third of the A6 and A8’s US figures.