A small Diesel vehicle here has too many things going against it. Car makers don't make a lot of money on small cars, in fact, some may lose on every one they sell. The big money is made in the optioned out huge trucks and SUV's. They sell the small cars to make the CAFE standards so they can make the big cars to make big money, why do you think Porsche, Lexus, and MB are making those silly Hybrids? Another is the price of furl here is still WAY low compared to the rest of the world, a Diesel isn't something most Americans will look at until the price of gas goes to about $6-8 dollars per gallon. Another factor is the Diesel itself, most Americans think they are big, noisy, clattery, smoky, slow, leaky, converted gas engines and expensive. Wrong on all accounts. A minor factor is the sheer amount of money it will cost to certify a Diesel in this country, most makers simply gave up trying to satisfy EPA and put money into getting more mpg out of gasoline engines. So, with all that in mind, I don't see any Diesels coming to the U.S. anytime soon even though every single maker offers a Diesel in every single market and model they sell in other countries. Make a stripper small car with no power anything, no blue tooth, no mytouch/synch/onstar, etc... make it a Diesel and sell it for under $15,000 watch them fly out the door, oh, wait, I think KIA or Hyundai will do it in a few years and watch the other companies play catch-up.
Another minor issue (maybe not so minor), is how stupid some people are. If small diesel cars were more common can you imagine how many people would 'accidently' fuel up with gas instead of diesel? This happens more than you would think already. If I did that in my Sportwagen I'd be looking at a HUGE repair bill, ~$6k at the dealership.
"Another factor is the Diesel itself, most Americans think they are big, noisy, clattery, smoky, slow, leaky, converted gas engines and expensive.
Wrong on all accounts."
You got that right Boss! My JSW is so quiet that people can not believe that it's a diesel! No smoke, very little noise, great economy, and stump pulling torque down low. Plus it has a 6 speed DSG trans that shifts like a dream.