Segler told Car and Driver that, “We’re delighted to hear it,” before confirming that the brand is seriously looking into the possibility of importing diesels into the United States.
Don’t expect this to happen with the current, second-generation MINIs, since Segler admits that U.S. diesel models are a “medium term” consideration, not a short term one.
If that sounds vaguely ambiguous, there’s probably a good reason for it. At the moment, emission standards for diesel passenger cars differ between the U.S. and the E.U., but that changes in 2014 when the E.U. adopts the current (stricter) U.S. standard.
It’s not economical for manufacturers to certify diesels just for the U.S. market, especially when they won’t sell in the same volume as gasoline-powered equivalents. That changes in 2014, which is why we expect to see more diesel options in the future.
Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1072250_mini-cooper-diesels-may-be-u-s-bound-report
