Fiat is reportedly developing a new diesel V8 engine

The Italian company, owner of numerous brands such as Jeep or Maserati, is developing a new high-performance V8 diesel engine, as our colleagues at Car & Driver report.

This new engine is expected to be used in the top ranges of its respective brands.

This move by the Italian house is quite contrary to the current trend, where manufacturers are removing V8 engines from their ranges almost entirely, considering them too large, expensive and polluting. This is the case of BMW, which has completely removed the diesel V8 from its engine offering, as has Mercedes-Benz.

However, at Fiat they are working hard to have a new global-use diesel V8 ready by 2016, meaning it could be fitted to the Jeep Grand Cherokee as well as the Maserati Quattroporte or Ghibli. That said, it should be noted that the idea of a diesel-powered V8 is conditional on the success of the already confirmed V6 diesel, now in full production, that Maserati has announced for its new Ghibli.

Conversely, there is also the possibility that the diesel V6 will be sufficient for buyers, in which case we would not see the V8 from Fiat either. This V8 will almost certainly exceed 350 CV of power and 700 Nm of torque, with consumption that should not, under any circumstances, exceed 9 litres per 100 km.

Source: Car&Driver