JLR Touts New U.S. Diesels

Tata Motors Ltd.'s Jaguar Land Rover unit expects as many as one in five U.S. buyers of its luxury sedans and SUVs will opt for diesel engines when available, company officials tell Automotive News. The company previously has said it plans to offer compression-ignition engines throughout its U.S. lineup of Jaguar and Land Rover models within the next few years.

The first diesel-powered Land Rover models in the U.S. are due next month with the Range Rover Td6 and Range Rover Sport Td6, which will be fitted with a 3.0-liter V-6. Jaguar will add a new 4-cylinder 2.0-liter oil burner to its U.S. lineup next summer for its XF midsize sedan and all-new XE compact sedan.

Diesels already power more than half of Land Rovers sold worldwide including 90% in Europe, says Alan Jones, JLR's diesel engineering director.

In the U.S., the diesel SUVs are expected to have a federal highway/city combined rating of about 25 mpg, AN says, which is nearly one-third better than their counterparts with a gasoline-fueled 3.0-liter V-6.

JLR says it also has reduced engine noise, which has long been a concern about diesels. In blind tests with potential buyers in three U.S. cities, participants couldn't differentiate between gasoline and diesel models, according to the company.

Jones says the U.S. light vehicle market for diesels has jumped 26% since 2009, with such engines accounting for a 4.6% share of the total last year. Another plus: Owners of diesel vehicles typically have a higher loyalty rate than buyers of gasoline or hybrid-electric models, adds Rob Filipovic, product planning manager for Jaguar Land Rover North America.

To meet U.S. regulations and performance requirements, JLR has made several modifications to the U.S. V-6 diesels. They include a water-cooled turbocharger (with new bearings, vanes and nozzles), a two-stage oil pump and revised fuel injectors. A urea aftertreatment system has been added to meet emissions standards.