Diesel vehicles may be falling out of favor around the world but Jaguar Land Rover says it remains committed to its fleet of diesels in the North America.
The automaker only brought diesel models to North America last year, well after VW’s dieselgate scandal rocked the industry. Despite the less than ideal timing, Jaguar Land Rover North American chief executive Joe Eberhardt says sales of the vehicles have been increasing.
“We are getting to the take rates that we were looking for, about 15 percent on SUVs and around 9 to 10 percent on the sedans. Customers who chose the diesel actually love them for all the benefits in terms of range, fuel economy and torque. So, we have no plans on abandoning diesels,” he told Autonews.
Although the company is happy with how its diesels are selling, Eberhardt admitted that it remains difficult to market diesel vehicles nowadays.
“Right now, with all the negativity around diesel, if we pushed it really hard, I am not sure it would convert someone who has a negative connotation of diesel just by saying, ‘It’s not as bad as you think’,” he said.
In recent months, Jaguar Land Rover has consistently expressed its belief that diesel engines remain an important part of helping the environment.
In June, JLR’s UK managing director Jeremy Hicks said Euro 6 diesel engines are exceptionally clean and that it’s simply unfair to lump all diesels into the same basket as being toxic powertrains that reduce air quality.
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