The problem is that sulfur compounds (which can be as high as 2,000 parts per million on some refined Diesel #2 fuel sold in the USA) can chemically act like sulfuric acid (one of the strongest industrial acids out there) and quickly corrode the fuel-delivery system and exhaust system of the diesel cars sold in Europe. Fortunately, that issue will change within the next 18 months. By then, the EPA will mandate that the sulfur content of diesel fuel must not exceed 80 parts per million, identical to the standard in California now for motor fuels.
With the sulfur impurity issue resolved, we can now get diesel engines with direct combustion chamber fuel injection, common-rail high-pressure delivery systems, relatively simple catalytic converters and particulate traps. This will allow diesel cars to even meet the very strict ULEV standard for exhaust emissions.
Besides the obvious benefit of 30-35% lower fuel consumption, the other advantage of diesel engines is that they can also run with only minor modifications motor fuels that are derived from any high carbohydate plant source (most common grains, soybean, sugar beet, sugar cane and the jojoba bean as examples). This plant-based fuel--called biodiesel--is actually even more beneficial to the environment since this fuel has no issues with sulfur impurities and also the exhaust byproduct from the fuel does not have particulates, either. That's why biodiesel is of such interest to a number of large transit agencies that operate a large number of diesel-powered buses.
So if some punk puts sugar in the gas tank of this baby, you just say 'thank you whoever you are'!