VW makes cleanest ever diesel

The US is yet to wake from its slumber over the benefits of diesel engines as a means to power passenger cars, but it is helping to improve diesel technology and design.

The reluctance of Americans to embrace diesels means car manufacturers have to work all the harder to convince our cross-pond cousins, which in turn means we get ever more sophisticated engines.

All of this has resulted in Volkswagen coming up with the cleanest ever diesel engine.

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit has been designed to comply with Californian emissions standards and to do this it uses a nitrogen-oxide reservoir catalytic convertor.

This system captures nitrogen oxide from escaping at the exhaust, reducing these emissions by 90 per cent.

The technology is part of the BlueTec joint venture between Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes, and VW says the engine will go into production in 2008.

© Source: article on topgear