Cadillac, Saturn diesels headed to U.S.

General Motors' top dog, Bob Lutz, said that diesel-powered Cadillac and Saturn models will make it to the United States by 2010. The V6 engine likely to wind up in the United States will first show up in the Opel Vectra in Europe next year and then make its appearance in an updated Saturn Aura and Cadillac CTS in '09 or '10.

An inside source told Automotive News that the diesel will also end up in a front-wheel-drive model based on GM's Epsilon platform, in addition to the CTS, which is rear-wheel-drive. The diesel will be designed by the Italian firm VM Motori and it's expected to displace 2.9 liters. North Americans were able to buy a VM Motori diesel engine in the Jeep Liberty from 2005-06.

Many other GM cars could potentially see the diesel engine if it's engineered to fit models that use the Epsilon platform. Cars currently riding on the Epsilon platform range from the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and Saab 9-3 to the non-U.S. Cadillac BLS, Opel Signum and Vectra and Fiat Croma. The Saab, Cadillac and Fiat share Fiat-designed Multijet 1.9 liter four-cylinder diesel engines. The Fiat is also available with a five-cylinder diesel. The Signum and Vectra are currently available with an Isuzu diesel V6.

On GM's Fastlane Blog, Lutz said that the engine will not be 50-state compliant, at least initially. States that adopt California's emissions requirements in '09 or '10 will not see the diesel engines.

GM will show the engine in Frankfurt in September in an e-flex Opel and then again in Detroit in January under the hood of a Saturn likely using the same technology. GM's e-flex technology, showcased earlier this year on the Volt concept, is essentially a plug-in hybrid system.