The past 16 months have been something of a stress test, not just for Volkswagen but for the diesel auto market as a whole. Volkswagen?s diesel emissions scandal brought increased EPA scrutiny, resulting in established models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW put on hold and hopes of ever seeing performance diesels such as the Volkswagen GTD and BMW?s awesome new quad-turbo ?super diesel? effectively dashed.
With diesel versions of the Mazda CX-5, Chevrolet Equinox, and Ford F-150 all due this year?as well as the return of the Chevrolet Cruze diesel?it would be premature to call diesels dead for the United States. Yet with VW sitting it out, Audi considering diesel only for SUVs, and Mercedes-Benz in the process of reevaluating its product plans, the market is hardly continuing where it left off. So we asked Fritz Steinparzer, BMW?s global head of diesel-engine development, how the diesel turmoil will affect BMW. To sum up: He?s pragmatically optimistic about diesels? future in the BMW product mix?although it?s clear that what happens in Europe over the next few years will ultimately drive the technology?s U.S. fate.

Diesels have made up more than 50 percent of new-vehicle sales in Europe in recent years, but a recent study anticipated that diesels will comprise just 9 percent of that market by 2030. That’s partly due to tougher new emissions rules and the cost of meeting them. The baton is expected to be passed from diesel to hybrid and electric models, especially among s...