The rising cost of gasoline once more has Americans considering the advantage of buying a vehicle powered by a diesel engine. Small cars are generally lighter than large cars. Thus smaller cars can get by with smaller, less thirsty engines.

A move to more fuel-efficient vehicles such as the SYN^US concept would not only payoff in the pocketbook, it would also pay off for the environment. That's because burning less fuel produces less pollution.

TURBO POWER, DIESEL EFFICIENCY

Diesel-powered cars once were known for poor acceleration. No more, thanks to turbocharged diesels such as the 2.0-liter Duratorq used in the SYN^US. It produces 134 horsepower and a very generous 236 foot-pounds of torque. A turbocharged engine can deliver more power and better fuel economy. That's because a turbocharger only generated its extra power when the driver calls for it. The rest of the time the turbocharger is idle and the engine produces less power and consumes less fuel.

BIO BENEFITS

The SYN^US concept is suited to bio-mass diesel fuel. Twenty percent of every gallon of this blend is bio-mass diesel; the other 80 percent is traditional petroleum-based diesel fuel. Non-toxic and biodegradable, bio-mass diesel is made from such things as agricultural products and even recycled restaurant grease. Unlike oil, these sources are readily renewable.

Not only would reliance on bio-mass reduce the need for petroleum, that reduced need would eliminate or delay the need to extract petroleum from areas with fragile ecosystems.

BIG ADVANTAGES TO BEING SMALL

In most if not all dimensions, the SYN^US and the Fiesta on which it is based are smaller than the Ford Focus familiar to Americans. Being smaller, they are also lighter and offer less resistance to the wind when under way (theoretically in the case of the concept car). Thus these cars can make do with smaller, more fuel efficient engines.

Another advantage for the environment lies in the small size of B-cars: it takes less material to make them. That means less natural resources are consumed. And that means less of the natural environment needs to be disturbed to extract those resources.