At least, we have had a recent upgrade to Euro 2 standards recently, and that has helped a little. You still see some smoke billowing from our diesel vehicles, but not as much as before.

On a recent trip to Brisbane, I had the chance to spend nine whole days with a Volvo XC60 – a D5 diesel model – courtesy of Volvo Car Malaysia and Volvo Australia.

The Volvo XC60 D5 is powered by the very same engine that powers the Volvo XC90 back here in Malaysia, the difference being the fuel quality.

In Australia, the standard for diesel fuel is Euro 4, which Australians would say is "heaps" better than what we have here. The benefit is better power, better fuel economy, and most wonderful of all, no smoke.

The 2.5-litre common rail diesel turbo engine produces 185 horsepower and 400Nm of torque, giving the XC60 plenty of get-up-and-go. It is a great vehicle to drive, being AWD (all-wheel drive), and its safety features make it the safest Volvo ever built.

Standard features include City Safety, a system that uses cameras mounted high up on the windscreen to monitor the distance between it and the vehicle in front in crawling traffic, applying the brakes automatically to prevent or mitigate a collision if the driver is not paying attention; cruise control; traction control; ABS; and enough airbags to cushion you should you have an impact.

One of its most useful features is the user-friendly Garmin GPS system.

I have no complaints about the XC60 whatsoever, but driving it there brings some thoughts about the diesel situation back here in Malaysia.

The first thing you will notice when driving in Australian cities, or even as a pedestrian in the streets and sidewalks, is the absence of petrol or diesel fumes when the traffic passes by. This is because Australia’s strict anti-pollution laws ensure that manufacturers equip their cars with engines that comply with the standards, and enforcement is non-negotiable.

Obviously, there is merit in such a system as it makes everybody’s life better on account of cleaner air. Thus, you will live longer, and be relatively free of lung and breathing-related illnesses.

With fuel prices at around AUD1.30 (approximately RM3.90) per litre, it is expensive to drive there. Yes, you can say that we should look at it based on a ringgit-versus-Australian dollar, but Australians are telling me it is expensive too.

Diesel prices are about the same or a few cents higher, but it delivers more energy per pound of fuel, thus, it makes sense for people to purchase diesel-engined cars.

In the case of SUVs like the Volvo XC60, which weighs in at about two tons, it makes perfect sense to go diesel.

Well, our tank of diesel lasted for eight days of driving between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, including some adventure into the hills to attend a relative’s wedding ceremony.

We covered a total of 610km on the XC60’s tank, and the refill came to 63 litres of diesel. That works out to 9.6km per litre. A petrol-engined vehicle of the same size and weight would have consumed at least 20% more fuel, if not more.

The fact of the matter is, there are many other vehicles, both cars and SUVs, that are powered by some of the world’s best diesel engines and the sole reason the car makers are not bringing them into our country is the diesel fuel quality.

I think it is high time for the powers that be to start looking into a plan to introduce clean diesel here. We have to leave old technology behind, and get up to speed with the rest of the developed world, or else we will be left behind.

The potential benefits are immense – clean air, longer lifespan, better vehicles on the road, a bigger market for vehicles, etc, etc.

How long do we have to wait?