Those of you who have looked at purchasing the 2009 Jetta TDI (to be released in August) – but decided against it might want to reconsider. Volkswagen is inviting all consumers to purchase their new car not only for its excellent fuel economy – but also for the fact that anyone who purchases it will be given a large Federal Tax Credit.

In Europe and other markets, Honda offers its Accord with both 2.0 and 2.4L gasoline powered engines, as well as a 2.2L four-cylinder i-DTEC turbo-diesel. This same car is to be offered in the U.S. as the Acura TSX.

A war is about to erupt in the diesel-powered half-ton pickup truck segment. GM has recently released details on the weapon in its arsenal, a 4.5L Duramax diesel. Due to a narrow angle V-block, this motor is small enough to fit in the same space as many of GM’s small block gasoline powered V8s. This provides hope for applications other than half ton pickup trucks. Surely GM’s large SUVs will see this motor under the hood.