Chrysler 300 V-6 CRD a diesel car that works

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — DaimlerChrysler introduced advanced diesel technology in Canada starting very small, bringing forth its Smart ForTwo car in 2004 with a 40-horsepower, three-cylinder diesel engine.

The carmaker initially planned to sell only 900 a year in Canada. But it wound up selling more than 4,000 in its first year at base prices ranging from about $15,000 to $19,000.

The company is exhibiting similar caution in its introduction of diesel technology in the United States. But it's doing it with a twist that reflects the European auto industry's belief that U.S. drivers are more interested in heavyweight power than they are in petite fuel efficiency.

In matters diesel, DaimlerChrysler believes that the best way to impress U.S. consumers is to introduce models such as the mid-size Mercedes-Benz 320 CDI and 320 CDI Bluetec luxury cars, as well as the full-size 2007 Chrysler 300 V-6 CRD sedan I drove in Virginia before coming here.

The Chrysler 300 V-6 CRD is equipped with a three-liter, 215-horsepower, direct-injection diesel engine developed by the Robert Bosch GmbH, the same Stuttgart-based automotive supplier that developed diesel technology for the Smart ForTwo.

A word of caution: Don't go running to your Chrysler dealer just yet in pursuit of the Chrysler 300 V-6 CRD. At this writing, the car remains experimental — a test bed for Bosch and DaimlerChrysler to demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of advanced diesel technology in a U.S. market that has long frowned on things diesel.

It remains to be seen if Cerberus Capital Management, the private equity firm buying the Chrysler Group from DaimlerChrysler, will move forward with a retail-ready version of the 300 V-6 CRD after the buyout is completed later this year. But here's hoping that Cerberus will work with Bosch and produce the car.

The 300 V-6 CRD works exceptionally well. I drove it 325 miles from my home in Northern Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley into the central parts of Virginia and back. I averaged 41 miles per gallon on the highway driving at speeds ranging from 60 to 70 miles per hour. I had no problems accelerating in the 300 V-6 CRD. Gear changes via the five-speed automatic transmission were flawless, absent any discernible downshifting or hesitation. The diesel engine was quieter than most gasoline models. And there was no diesel smell characteristic of old, traditional diesel technology.

The 300 V-6 CRD runs only on ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, which is diesel with sulfur at 15 parts per million. Thanks to recent revisions in federal fuel-quality standards, ultra-low-sulfur diesel now is widely available in the United States. But prices vary crazily. I paid $3.35 a gallon to refill the 300 V-6 CRD's 18.7-gallon tank at a station near my home.

Still, the point is made: The 300 V-6 CRD works.