Skip to main content

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Is 42 MPG The Ultimate Answer To The Ultimate Question? On paper, it sounds like an enthusiast's dream. Start by trimming almost 100 pounds from the curb weight of the base Chevrolet Cruze. Then drop the optional turbocharged engine underhood, bolted to a six-speed manual transmission. Lower the suspension and mount some lightweight, forged alloy wheels. Finish it off by sticking a little spoiler on the decklid, along with a special badge. Where do we sign up? But the car we've described isn't the stuff of boy racer fantasies; it's not even a performance car at all. No, the 2012 ... Read More

Vital Stats

Engine:
Turbo 1.4L I4
Power:
138 HP / 148 LB-FT
Transmission:
6-Speed Manual
MSRP:
$20,320 as tested
  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Chevy engineer squeezes 900 miles from one tank in 2014 Cruze Diesel
    1368532560

    Tessa Baughman didn't exactly set any speed records on a recent visit to her Arkansas family from Michigan, unless you factor in the time saved on not filling up a few times. The energy engineer for the Chevy Cruze Diesel, interviewed in a short General Motors video (available below), said she was able to go 900 miles on a single tank during the first ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    GM 'thanked' by biodiesel groups for making the Cruze Diesel B20-ready
    1368364500

    As if one of the world's largest automakers needed additional advertisement, General Motors now is getting big-time support from biodiesel advocates for being the first US automaker to have made one of its light-duty models be able to run on diesel with a 20 percent biodiesel mix, i.e. B20. The National Biodiesel Board calls GM "proactive and progressive" ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Spy Shots: 2015 Chevrolet Cruze spied on its home turf
    1366752600

    The next Chevrolet Cruze isn't set to go into production for about another year, and we're just now seeing prototypes of the new compact running around here in the States. Not much more has been revealed since we saw the car blasting through the snow in Europe, but we can still clearly see new design elements like the larger grille, slimmer headlamps and ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Report: Holden could get crossover based on Chevy Cruze
    1366552920

    During a discussion of the next-generation Holden Commodore and the General Motors Zeta platform, the question of an Australian-built SUV came up. Dave Leone, GM's executive chief engineer for luxury and rear-wheel-drive cars, wouldn't go any further than to say "that could be very possible," but recent events at Holden only reinforce the notion that we ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Official: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel gets 46 mpg
    1366290840

    General Motors has announced the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will return 46 miles per gallon highway based on Environmental Protection Agency estimates, besting original projections by some 4 mpg. As GM points out, the figure is better than "any non-hybrid passenger car in America," including the Volkswagen Passat TDI at 43 mpg and the Volkswagen Jetta ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Chevrolet donates 300 vehicles damaged by Sandy to help train first responders
    1362091500

    Super Storm Sandy took out a lot of automobiles in its path of destruction through the Northeast last October. The number surpassed 250,000 at last count, and a few of those were owned by Chevrolet – cars either sitting on dealership lots or waiting at port to be shipped off. Rendered unsellable by the water damage inflicted by Sandy, these vehicles ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Spy Shots: Next-gen Chevy Cruze caught cruising in the cold
    1360782060

    Spy photographers have caught what looks like the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze out on snow patrol. The camo could be tricking our eyes, but it look like it has an even tidier, more rounded front end and even lower fenders in relation to the top of the hood. And either a chunk of camo has been wedged between the side mirrors and the doors, or the ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Why GM's 2.0-liter diesel is cleaner in America's Cruze than it is in Europe
    1360359000

    The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze will have three different engine options soon, including the new 2.0-liter diesel powerplant that is debuting here at the Chicago Auto Show. The other powertrain choices include the made-in-Toledo 1.4 turbo gas engine used in the Eco and upper trim models and the 1.8-liter gas engine (made in Toluca, Mexico; it is also built ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Chicago: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze TD fires up its new diesel motor
    1360252740

    Ever since General Motors confirmed plans to produce a diesel-powered Cruze back in 2011, we've been eagerly awaiting its arrival. And as part of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet has pulled back the cover on its oil-burning compact sedan, set to go on sale in the near future with a starting price of $25,695, not including $810 for destination. The ...

  • 0
    Chevrolet Cruze
    Chicago: 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel arrives with 42 mpg for $25,695*
    1360213260

    The last time General Motors had a diesel passenger car in the US, it was the 1.8-liter 1986 Chevette. At the 2013 Chicago Auto Show today, GM is unveiling the much-anticipated 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. The compact bows with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that boasts 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, with full twist coming on ...

Autoblog iPhone App