In Europe, GM’s back In the Hyper Efficient Turbo Diesel Business

[xcel]

The 2013 Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFlex would easily destroy anything available in all of North America.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Oct. 19, 2012

Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFlex turbo diesel is rated at an excellent 71.3 mpgUS combined on the NEDC or maybe 57 mpgUS on our own EPA. Compare this to the most fuel efficient Cruze ECO at just 33 mpgUS combined for an eye opening comparison!

The latest Opel Corsa is now closing in on the fuel economy class leaders and the company is doing it with more HP and torque then those same underpowered rivals!

The 95 HP 3-door Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX with Start/Stop is by far the most economical and fuel-efficient diesel model Opel has ever built.

It was just two years ago when the 2011 Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX was officially rated at an exemplary 67.2 mpgUS combined on the NEDC. With a number of what Opel calls “enhancements”, consumption was reduced by almost seven percent.

To begin, the 1.3L turbo diesel was equipped with a variable displacement oil pump that delivers only the necessary oil pressure. The use of a special low-viscosity transmission oil also contributes to efficient fuel consumption. These measures plus adjustments of engine mappings in the engine control module add up to big savings.

Beginning in November, the Corsa will also feature a new generation of Opel-engineered manual transmissions that ensure even more precise and smooth gear shifting. Engineers achieved a reduction of friction and shift forces as well as gearshift travel. The base transmission was comprehensively re-worked: new gears and modified parts including shift rods and the fork shaft were used. The end result is said to be an easier to shift MT in cold temperatures.

New 185/65 R15 low-rolling-resistance tires were also add to the Corsa to achieve the ground breaking figure.

On the performance front, 140.1 lb-ft. of torque is available between 1,750 and 3,250 rpm. The 95 HP turbo diesel in the 2013 Corsa can do the 0 to 60 dance in 12.1 seconds with a maximum speed of 110 mph.

Chassis Upgrades

Opel engineers also optimized the Corsa chassis. According to Opel, the suspension and damper compensates for uneven road surfaces more gently which in turn improves driving comfort.

The Opel Corsa currently it accounts for over 28 percent of Opel/Vauxhall’s total sales volume in Europe with approximately 12 million units of the four generations sold to date.

I wonder if we will ever see one of these on US shores. If so, World Records would fall!

[phoebeisis]

Wayne

This little car- is it Spark sized- 155' or so?-
Would actually match a Prius in FE - when the diesel premium is factored in?
But it would get maybe 65 mpg at a steady 60 mph-so it would beat it hy.
This about right?
If the price could be $18000- $2000 under the Prius- it would sell here.
Ohterwise we'll never see it
The Prius sinks all the little diesels before they ever make it here.
I'm a bit of a Toyota disliker-I've always been suspicious of how Toyota can sell soooo much car for sooo little. It has killed the USA diesel market-except for niches-VW MB etc.
Charlie

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

Wayne

This little car- is it Spark sized- 155' or so?-
Would actually match a Prius in FE - when the diesel premium is factored in?
But it would get maybe 65 mpg at a steady 60 mph-so it would beat it hy.
This about right?
If the price could be $18000- $2000 under the Prius- it would sell here.
Ohterwise we'll never see it
The Prius sinks all the little diesels before they ever make it here.
I'm a bit of a Toyota disliker-I've always been suspicious of how Toyota can sell soooo much car for sooo little. It has killed the USA diesel market-except for niches-VW MB etc.
Charlie

Subcompact. Likely Sonic sized...

*Search search*

Spark: 144.7
Opel/Vauxhall Corsa: 157.4
Sonic: 159.00
(Sonic Sedan: 173.1)

[Bruce]

New 185/65 R15 low-rolling-resistance tires

My car has 65 aspect ratio tires...these look more like 55 or so. Mine has 185/65 R14s; 185/65 R15s would be 1" larger OD.

[herm]

Bruce, those 185/65 R14 are low rolling resistance?

[50 mpg by 2012]

Some say "diesels are not clean enough for the US".

One of our friends has put together an extensive and OUTSTANDING study of the "issues" that, in my opinion, proves otherwise. It is an amazingly detailed analysis of historic knowledge with time lines regarding relative risks to enviroment and man, including bio-toxicity.

Current Air Quality Issues: Benefits of "Dieselization" of America

There are numerous surprises regarding "generally accepted beliefs". In this case I think the word "dogma" comes to mind.

IF my reading of the material is correct, the extensive information presented seems to clearly demonstrate that current fuel frugal modern diesel technology, even with its' short comings, is significantly superior in terms of health and environment when compared to the best current gasoline technologies.

And the second plus, a gain of probably 30% to 50% better fuel economy for comparable displacements with minimum loss of torque.

Sadly, much of these basics have been known for more than a decade.

What is that old saying?

We all want progress. But, nobody wants change!

In this Corsa's case maybe 57 mpgUS on EPA sounds reasonable.

However, there is a reasonable possibility that "user experienced average mpg" would be closer to the 71.3 mpgUS NEDC value, possibly about 65 mpg(US) experience average. Only experience will tell.

[Carcus]

Conspiracy guy sez,

The "powers that be" won't allow diesel POV's to catch in the U.S. because it'll screw up the diesel/gasoline refining balance. –- IOW you can only change the diesel/gasoline output ratios from a barrel of oil by a percentage point or two. If there was to be a large scale shift in personal transportation demand towards diesel, the price of diesel would go up and there'd be a glut of gasoline ...reaking havoc on trucking, farming (food prices), ..... the whole economy in general.
_____________________________________________


Asia's Refiners Prepare for Switch to Diesel
http://www.downstreamtoday.com/news/...spx?a_id=37246

"Favorable economics for diesel is already prompting some refiners in the region to switch. Diesel yields have risen to 34.6 percent in 2011 from 33 percent in 2006, said Praveen Kumar, an analyst with FACTS Global Energy.

"For this year, we have been producing less gasoline and more diesel as the margins for diesel have been much better," a north Asian refiner said, declining to be identified. "Cracking margins change every day, so it really depends on the trend."

The limitation on altering output, by at best 1-2 percent, means the diesel supply crunch in Asia is here to stay, if not worsen, even though economics dictates that more and more refiners should opt to boost output of the fuel.
----
""Although refiners are motivated to capture the improved margins by switching yields, they are constrained by several factors including configurations, operational flexibility, crude diet," said Kumar.

Asian refiners mostly own configurations based on gasoline-making fluid catalytic cracking units and a further push towards diesel will need fresh investment for plant upgrades, he said.

That may prove too costly, especially with a weak outlook for overall global energy demand growth.

"It is possible that refiners might switch their fluid catalytic cracking units to maximize diesel production with better margins for diesel, but they won't be able to switch much," another refinery source said."

[thunderstruck]

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

Wayne
Would actually match a Prius in FE - when the diesel premium is factored in?

A lot of that depends on what diesel prices are in your part of the country. The key to figuring out cost is cents per mile, not dollars per gallon. Using figures from Chicago at a station I check, yes it is cheaper. The other thing to consider is unlike (bio)diesel, you can't make your own gas at home.

[50 mpg by 2012]

I was speaking with a US refiner last winter that had recently restarted their plant after extensive upgrades to allow processing very heavy crude.

He pointed out that the new process allowed them to increase diesel yield per barrel by 30%, maybe 33% seems to come to mind.

Oh, he also volunteered that the gain did not significantly impact gasoline yield/barrel. He gave me the actual numbers but unfortunately I did not keep my notes.

Do you think that might make a difference?

Things are no longer the same as they were with the older refineries. Times and technologies change ... even in refining crude.

Keep in mind that historically the US has typically exported diesel and imported gasoline to balance consumption, iirc.

[phoebeisis]

Thunderstruck
Right-which is why I refer to FE not mpg.
A diesel has to beat a gas motor by 10-15% in mpg to match FE
50mpg Prius-roughly same as a 55mpg diesel
If the cost to buy is about the same-as little as $20,000+TTL- figure $23000 for Prius
I think some of these little TD are just $23000 with that VAT the Euros always have built into their prices.

But some of our plain jane turbo gas cars are as little as $17000 OTD ($15000 +ttl-maybe a Sonic Fit Fiesta)
Best Guess what is the least a USA manufacturer could sell a 155" Sonic sized TDI for in the USA-as little as $17500+$2000 TTL-
The TDI might use 2000 gallons per 100,000 miles(50 mpg) $8000 in fuel
The gas turbo might use 3030 gallons per 100,000- 33mpg real world-$10,900
Save $2900 in fuel-
So if it -TDI costs $3000 more - break even is in a reasonable 100,000 miles-
assuming just a 10% diesel premium
and the TD might be more fun to drive- if it has a lot more TQ