This is what drives me nuts about our nation's auto industry

[OmahaBlueDog]

<<If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor, known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor and Honda Motor in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.>>


http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/105735/The-65-mpg-Ford-the-U.S.-Can't-Have

[Greyhound]

1. So we outlawed fuel efficient transportation that uses diesel?!?

Seems these idiots are determined to kill this sector of the American economy.

Inbred parasites.

[yourout]

2. I love my TDI Jetta and will soon be looking to trade for a new one.

People cant belive it is a diesel.

As usual Detroit is clueless about what to build and sell in the US.

[sakabatou]

3. As Kyle (or maybe Stan) says: "YOU BASTARDS!"

[madrchsod]

4. they are going to build this car in the usa

the euro engine is built to burn european formula diesel fuel. that formula is`t sold in the usa. so it`s not practical to bring in an engine that will not run on us diesel

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. How hard can the adjustment be?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. That's no longer true.

Ultra low sulfur diesel is now widely available in the US.

[madrchsod]

7. i just read that..mandatory in 2010.

i think it`s more manufacturing cost of building another diesel plant for the usa market. ford is also developing the next generation of gasoline/ethonal engines for the usa market.

[baldguy]

8. What do you expect? They're still designing & building new SUVs.

[LanternWaste]

9. What I don't understand...

What I don't understand (and have never had it adequately explained to me) is why the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards does not push for America to become a signatory to the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. Although FMVSS and WFHVR have minor differences in safety standards, the differences are merely in degrees-- one doing better than the other in some areas, and not as good in other areas of safety.

For example, in 1974, the FMVSS banned the Citroen SM for sale in the U.S., despite it being considered one of the safest vehicles in the world at the time. That leads me to believe that U.S. auto industry management is more interested in protectionism than in actual safety. If that is indeed the case, and if American made cars sold only in other countries would actually sell well here in the states, then it would appear the industry is, for all intents and purposes, biting the very hand that feeds them.