The Volkswagen Dieselution Tour

Diesel has been a part of Volkswagen’s history for a very long time – as long as most people can remember. It is more than just a phase for the brand though; where General Motors, Volvo and other brands bailed out during the ’80s, Volkswagen kept plugging diesel fuel. It paid off – for many years, if you wanted an affordable diesel car, VW was the only place to go. In fact, this was much the case up until model year 2006, when VW was forced to withdraw its TDI Golf, Jetta and New Beetle from sale as they were incapable of meeting new extremely strict emissions regulations.

But now things have changed and VW has come up with a way of getting its latest engines past emissions regs without issue and wants to get even more people interested in the fuel as an environmental and cost saving alternative to hybrids. However, not everyone is as automobile savvy as the folks that read car magazines and online auto sections. Some people need a lot of convincing that diesel, in fact, isn’t a smelly, stinky and polluting fuel. That’s the purpose of VW’s Dieselution Tour.

What is essentially a traveling roadshow, the Dieselution Tour brings the wonderful world of diesel to people of all sorts in an informative and fun way. Besides getting a chance to see North America’s oldest diesel (A ‘77 Rabbit in remarkably good condition), also on hand are prototypes of the 2009 Jetta TDI, Touareg 2 TDI, and a Polo Bluemotion.

Inside, the brightly colored trailer is a cross between a science fair exhibit and a video arcade with some really fun activities. Those who participate can see displays about VW’s efforts in diesel racing, next-generation fuels (e.g. SunFuel), and even play with mileage and carbon calculators. For instance, one of the displays shows that driving a 2009 Jetta TDI from California to Colorado might save you enough money for a day’s lift ticket and rentals at a ski / snowboard resort, not to mention several hundred pounds of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to an equivalently-sized gasoline-powered car.

Besides the fun factor, there are plenty of interesting and informative tidbits inside the trailer. For the mechanically inclined, there’s a deconstructed 2.0-liter TDI engine with all the visible parts. Informed and trained staff are on hand who can answer any questions you might have. The Dieselution display will be heading across North America and making stops at green events, auto shows such as SEMA, and even the Superbowl.

For those lamenting the loss of the ‘06 TDI, they should be glad to know that it won’t be long before new TDIs are in dealerships. The first to arrive will be the 2009 Jetta TDI, followed by the Jetta TDI Wagon which will arrive in the spring. At the very end of 2008 (December, so I am told) the V6 TDI-powered Touareg will also arrive, giving this luxury SUV the blend of economy and performance it’s always deserved.