1/19/2024 0 Comments Diesel runabout boat![]() Having driven a 2010 Touareg TDI for a weeklong test, I fell in love with the 3.0-liter diesel. The V6 caught my attention because it’s the same engine used in the Volkswagen Touareg TDI. At the 2011 Miami International Boat Show, Cummins MerCruiser debuted a new line of diesel engines produced in a strategic partnership with Volkswagen Marine: an inline four-cylinder, a 4.2-liter V8, and a 3.0-liter V6. Now, I think the industry has advanced to the point where small diesel powertrains are not only possible in a runabout package, but maybe even preferable. Like I said, that powertrain in a Donzi 22 Classic was a great idea, but it had its limitations. And docking isn’t as easy as it is with a sterndrive. The props are expensive, and because the Arneson drive is so long, they’re in harm’s way while towing. What’s more, it extends far beyond the transom, which can create problems: Surfacing propellers are sharp, and you don’t want your kids to get cut while they’re supposed to be having fun swimming. For starters, the Arneson is a surface-piercing drive, which requires a deft hand to operate. As robust as these drives are, they’re not for everyone. Yanmar didn’t make a sterndrive then-though it does now-so the Arneson was about the only thing available to spin a prop. Back then, there wasn’t a sterndrive that could handle the torque of the diesel, even the small six-cylinder in the Donzi. But it still wasn’t ready for prime time. Top speed was greater than the 60-mph benchmark for performance boats, fuel consumption was as miserly as you can get in a 22-foot runabout, and smoke was minimal - and that was before low-sulphur diesel was mandated. ![]() ![]() VW’s TDI 265-6 three-liter V6 diesel will be mated to MerCruiser’s Bravo 1 and Bravo 3 sterndrives. ![]()
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