Fueling Concern

On the other hand,diesel engines use compression ignition to burn the fuel which is injected in the combustion chamber after the air is compressed,thus making them noisier. The calorific value of diesel is more than petrol and hence the energy output per unit volume of diesel is better than petrol. The construction of diesel engines is a bit more complicated than the petrol engine and hence it asks for higher initial investment,which is also visible in the price of diesel cars,which are always more expensive than the equivalent petrol models. It must also be noted that diesel cars command better resale value in the second hand car market.

Petrol and diesel engine performances have also been a subject of research. A lot has changed for the diesel engine after the advent of turbo-chargers. “Direct inject and common rail engines are the latest introductions. Direct inject engines have taken care of the noise problem to a large extent and they also give better mileage over the older indirect injection models. Direct injection technology now features in a number of petrol models also.

Diesel engines emit less carbon dioxide,so they are better for the environment. However,now petrol engines are also getting cleaner and more economical. Performance-oriented drivers still tend to opt for petrol cars,though many diesel cars can accelerate faster than petrol equivalents during gear acceleration,which is more advantageous in everyday driving.

Recently,I test drove the Audi A4 3.0 TDI diesel and its petrol equivalent A4 3.2 FSI. Both cars had about the same engine capacity with 6 cylinder engines,similar DSG gearbox with Quattro all-wheel drive,and believe me the diesel is much faster,both during its outright and in gear acceleration and to top it up,it gave better fuel consumption figures.

Even in motorsports,the pioneer for the research and development of automobile engineering,the diesel engine has come of age and is beginning to dominate. Volkswagen won the Dakar raid,world’s toughest motorsports event with their diesel models. Audi and Peugeot,with their diesel cars,have completely dominated the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. The day is not far when even in F1 and World Rally Championship the diesel engine will make its presence.

Diesel is also cheaper than petrol in India — about 25-30 per cent cheaper,depending on the region you live in. Diesel cars also travel further on a litre of fuel compared to their petrol counterparts. However,bear in mind that a diesel car makes financial sense only if your annual mileage is more than 15,000-18,000 km. If your annual mileage is less than that,then opt blindly for a petrol car,as the periodic maintenance of a diesel engine is far more than a petrol one. Also take into account that the price of a diesel model is more than its petrol counterpart.

What does this technically mean for the common man? Diesel cars are good for those who have long distance commuting on a daily basis. Diesel engines give better fuel consumption and deliver better torque. This means diesel engines make everyday driving cheaper and an easy experience,no doubt that 65 per cent of the passenger cars sold in western Europe are diesel.

Finally,as a fuel,diesel is cheaper than petrol in India. Hence,the only serious disadvantage of the diesel car in India is the higher purchase price and its high maintenance cost.

The writer is a car rallyist,consultant for various car manufacturers and is running an automobile workshop in Chandigarh.