Fiat Group Developing V-8 Turbo-Diesel for Global Consumption

The success of the turbo-diesel V-6 available in the new Maserati Ghibli will determine the fate of Fiat Group's in-development V-8 oil-burner. Manufacturers around the planet have been eliminating their V-8 diesel programs in the face of the global financial crisis. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz have retired all of their eight-cylinder oil-burners for passenger vehicles, claiming the need to cut costs. But there are seemingly two heady allies championing the comeback of the compression-ignition V-8, two men we often see as direct adversaries: the Volkswagen Group's all-powerful Ferdinand Piëch and the Fiat Group's CEO Sergio Marchionne. Piëch has forever been a huge fan of big diesels, so the chortling engines with frightening amounts of torque, be they V-8 or V-12—there was a V-10 TDI, but only very briefly—have not gone away completely. Only Piëch's bunch and Ford (thanks to the ongoing post-alliance tech agreements with Land Rover's vehement diesel customers) currently are building and selling such mills for public—and non-heavy-duty pickup—consumption. It has been reported, in fact, that the 382-hp Porsche Cayenne S diesel has one of the longest waiting lists for customers within the 11-brand VW Group. Sources on the ground in Italy now are telling us that the Fiat Group is hard at work to take advantage of this void in the marketplace with an all-new V-8 turbo-diesel planned for worldwide use. The main reason for the development of this mill seems to be the bugaboo that frustrates budget types and product planners to no end: overwhelming customer demand. What a pain, right? First Drive: 2014 Maserati Quattroporte First Drive: 2013 Ferrari California First Drive: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel V-6 The ultimate green light here depends on one variable, however, that has yet to be determined. Namely, will the new 275-hp twin-turbo V-6 diesel debuting in the Maserati Ghibli satisfy enough of the pent-up big-diesel demand? If not, it won't be long until we see a direct-injected 4.0-liter V-8 turbo-diesel. It's understood that this monster mill, which is aching to be dropped in a mule as we speak, will produce 360 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Not only is this simmering project aimed at fully establishing the Fiat Group as a provider of state-of-the-art, efficient powerplants suitable for luxury cruising, but with the latest developments in Fiat's Multijet clean-diesel technologies, a huge feather in the company's cap regarding cleaner and reduced emissions. We're hearing that the Italians are aiming for a 30-mpg combined number when tested on the EPA cycles. Now all there is to do is hope that Fiat's new compression-ignition V-6 doesn't quite satisfy the needs of the world's diesel appassionati. We want this mill, and by 2016, we could have it. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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