oh don't be so sensitive. it's an ad for the new line of BMW turbo diesels, and aside from the old mercedes 300Ds, there haven't been a whole lot of non-turbo passenger (non pickup truck) diesels on the market since the early 80s. what they are trying to do is throw out the notion that diesels are inherently slow, smokey, and boring to drive. the 240 is a good choice for this ad because it's a familiar looking car, rather drab (in the eyes of most people) and not exactly known for its performance. the mercedes 300D isn't so great of a choice because people tend to associate mercedes with wealth.

VW hasn't really heavily marketed their TDI models-at least not that i've seen-and even today there really aren't that many manufacturers making turbo diesel passenger cars so it's pretty understandable the angle they're shooting for.

and BTW, volvo didn't offer a 240 diesel in america in 86-88.