Subaru will offer diesels before hybrids

Good move, as their almost as efficient, and the development cost are much less...

Now Subie... Let's work on those styling issues, Ok?

Way to go Subaru! Too bad those diesels won't make it over here before I buy my Tribeca.

sweet.

omarrana and eGMCartech are just having a hybrid lovefest today.

Every eGM article he has edited and then cross-posted to AutoSpies is so poorly written and editorialized that by the end of today people will probably think that all hybrids are just gonna shut down on rush hour freeways as their batteries simultaneously explode.

Subaru is clearly focusing on diesel development as they do not need to build hybrids, Toyota will supply them with any should they decide to go that route. And to compete in Europe today, they will need a diesel.

Obviously omarrana's point of this article is the line "But currently, the voices calling for diesels are stronger than the voices for hybrids." Let's be clear, that this is a comment directed to a European audience. Those are not American voices. Europeans have clearly come down in favor of smog belching, fossil fuel consuming diesels, and their govts have used taxes and incentives to ensure this continues. So if Subaru wants to compete in Europe, they have no choice but to offer diesels. Even Toyota sells plenty of their models with diesel engines in Europe. Just because somoene is doing it does not make it right.

Diesels are not the future. Diesel fuel will run out with the other fossil fuels. Diesels will NEVER be as clean as the best gasoline engines, and will not come anywhere close to the clean emissions of a hybrid. Diesel technoplogy (bluetec) has made enough strides to let it grasp on for a few more years. But my bet is on the next generation of even higher mpg, cleaner hybrids.

We Europeans have been waiting for that "revolutionary" boxer diesel for quite some time now... aren't we?

Diesel fuel may not be the future, but diesel engines WILL be a part of the future and will work just fine with biodiesel (non-petroleum-based) fuel. That is a big benefit of diesels. While pure ethanol delivers around 35% less energy per volume than gasoline, pure biodiesel has 7% less energy per volume than diesel with generally much less greenhouse gas emissions and practically no sulfur. Until a cost-effective, volume production process is available, we won’t see cheap biodiesel yet, but progress with biomass is being made. And diesel engines last longer (less parts, stronger block), helping a bit to save the environment (from having to buy a new car). Don’t discount the diesels!

huu76,
I realize I wasn't clear above, but I meant to say that E85 is NOT a viable solution. Yes, E100 gets 35% less fuel econ, while E85 gets 25% less. Biodiesel is more viable. Imagine (within 5-10 years) "growing" biodiesel from biomass algae - clean and renewable. Hybrids are a stopgap for now till batteries get good enough for pure electrics, or hydrogen gets cheap enough. A parallel-hybrid with diesel would be a better than a gasoline version.