Is there a Saturn diesel coming our way? The thought of cruising down the highway at 100 m.p.h. burning only 37 m.p.g. does have it’s appeal. Alas, GM’s latest turbo diesel in the European Opel Astra 1.9 CDTI will not be coming America’s way this year, but Saturn has an eye on diesel.

“Saturn executives have their eye on GM’s European diesel lineup. The brand could offer the latest generation of low-emissions diesels alongside its growing lineup of hybrid-electric models as it works to polish its earth-friendly credentials.

The main questions are how much could Saturn charge for the diesel and how many customers would pay for it.

Diesels are more expensive than most gasoline engines because of costly additional components like turbochargers, intercoolers, high-pressure fuel pumps and extra emission-control systems.”
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In the past,because of the diesels durability, auto makers like Chrysler extended its warranty to five years or 100,000 miles on all diesel engines in the Dodge Ram, Sprinter and Jeep Liberty lineup. Even with a better extended warranty, experts predict that buyers are going to balk at paying an additional 1000 dollars for a diesel.