Video: Green Thumbs Part: 1 (2008 Show)

We're gonna run around, give you an idea of the stuff that was introduced here that's green, give it a rating, green thumbs up, green thumbs down. Now, understand we're not gonna do everything. Only the stuff introduced here, just calm down. First, the diesels in this video, you can check the second video for hybrids, and other alternative fuels. First green car, Mercedes-Benz 2009 GLK. I know, it's an SUV. You're thinking how can that be a green car? Think about it. People who have SUV's are not gonna dump them, and go buy little economy cars or hybrids. They want smaller SUV's. This will fit the bill. Also, this is a GLK BlueTec. That means it has a diesel engine. Now you're thinking, "Diesel, that's not green. They're dirty, they're smelly, they're noisy," not anymore. In the end, green thumbs up. I'll give you an idea of why diesel are not clean. We have low sulfur fuel and special new diesel engines, and you have a diesel particulate filter which captures all that soot you see coming out of trucks. Beyond that, you've got this black tank that holds urea fluid which is injected into the exhaust stream to help convert, and catalyze some of the bad stuff. The engine is currently using the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI. Generally, luxury manufacturers use diesel to give you more power, a little bit more than more efficiency, but still for what it is, thumbs up. Also introduced to this show BMW 3 series is getting a diesel engine. Good car, good engine, thumbs up. Another announcement, Kia is gonna have a clean diesel that also uses urea starting in 2010. The problem is, it's going to go into the Kia Borrego, a 2009 model introduced here, which is a truck-based midsize SUV. A truck based mid-size SUV all new in 2009, that's two thumbs down, clean diesel, one thumb up, package something like this. The Saturn Flextreme is only a concept but it's the second version of the E-Flex system which is basically an electric car with a generator. In this case, the generator's diesel, I think that's good, thumbs up. Honda introduced a prototype of its clean diesel engine, which will go into an Acura in 2009. Now, Honda claims that their system will not need the urea injection that the other guys need, and it will still be cleaning up. Now, it's not in the car yet. So that was probably be no thumbs, but the fact that you wouldn't have to refill your car with urea every time you get an oil change, and you never again have to say the word urea, that's worth the thumbs up. <v Announcer>For additional information on this car or any other, go to cars.com and our blog KickingTires.