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UK Channel 4 documentary that has caused a stir...the truth about diesels and its consequences. http://youtu.be/7QUoP3EnELA

I thought torque is the turning force that pushes the car off the line? So with so much torque how come they're still slower? 1.Diesel engines, because they have much higher compression ratios (20:1 for a typical diesel vs. 8:1 for a typical gasoline engine), tend to be heavier than an equivalent gasoline engine. 2.Diesel engines also tend to be more expensive. 3.Diesel engines, because of the weight and compression ratio, tend to have lower maximum RPM ranges than gasoline engines (see Question 381 for details). This makes diesel engines high torque rather than high horsepower, and that tends to make diesel cars slow in terms of acceleration. 4.Diesel engines must be fuel injected, and in the past fuel injection was expensive and less reliable. 5.Diesel engines tend to produce more smoke and "smell funny." 6.Diesel engines are harder to start in cold weather, and if they contain glow plugs, diesel engines can require you to wait before starting the engine so the glow plugs can heat up. 7.Diesel engines are much noisier and tend to vibrate. 8.Diesel fuel is less readily available than gasoline. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question399.htm

I believe that the failure of the Continential brands and Chevrolet in marketing diesels in Singapore is not due to the demerits of diesel engines itself, but rather, it's due to the niche nature of the cars they equip diesel engines with that spoils their chance in making diesels popular here. So if Hyundai/Kia uses their current price advantage over the Japanese and Continentials to market diesels as an option to current popular petrol models like Cerato Forte, Avante & i30, will they be successful? Share your views here!