Be still my heart. Subaru has created a turbo diesel boxer Legacy

Subaru finally has a diesel-and it’s the first boxer turbodiesel in a passenger car. Ever. The diesel option not only gives the company a real presence in Europe, but the engine’s excellent fuel economy-near an estimated 50 mpg on the highway-will make it easier to comply with the upcoming CAFE legislation.

YES! YES! YES! 258-lb-ft turbodiesel DOHC 16-valve flat-4 at 50mpg and AWD. Woohoo! Better yet, it meets the Euro4 emission standard with 148 g/km of CO2 thanks to technology enhancements like common rail, oxidation catalytic converters, particulate filters, and Exhaust Gas Recirculation.

Sadly, like most consumer technology these days, it will be introduced to the US at least two years after being sold in Europe and Asia. WTF?

I bought my diesel VW at a far lower cost than the gasoline variant. In fact, it used to be one of the cheapest engine options on the VW line. The dealers barely wanted to carry them on the lot. Now, given the clear performance and efficiency advantages of diesel in foreign markets, Americans are not only still waiting, but the story is that there might be a surcharge :

It would make perfect sense in the Forester, and perhaps the Impreza. However, when it comes to sales, the success of this engine in the U.S. is going to depend on the cost factor. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, not even for European markets, but this engine option could add $2000 or more to the bottom line for America.

Why does this upside down and backward situation not surprise me? Who loves the “market”? Come on America, stop pissing around with all the hydrogen mumbo-jumbo and let in the Diesel revolution. What gain is there from by delaying this kind of innovation from reaching our shores? Car manufacturers should be given incentives to bring 50mpg full-size full-power automobiles to us.