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2014 Chevrolet Cruze TD fires up its new diesel motor

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Diesel

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 heart and soul of the Cruze TD (that's its official name) is a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline four-cylinder engine rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, mated solely to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine also has an overboost function that will increase torque to 280 lb-ft for up to ten seconds. The full brace of official specs haven't been released, but GM tells us that highway fuel economy will come in at 42 miles per gallon. If that number sounds familiar, it's because the Volkswagen Jetta TDI has the exact same rating. Unlike the Jetta, however, the Cruze TD can run on B20 biodiesel, where as the Volkswagen can only accept B5.

Model-specific changes to this 2014 Cruze TD include an aero kit and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there's a full leather interior, and Chevrolet will provide two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance, not to mention a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Everything you need to know about the Cruze TD is in the press release below, and have a look through our gallery of live photos to see the torquey little Chevy for yourself.

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2014 Chevrolet Cruze TD fires up its new diesel motor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel arrives with 42 mpg for $25,695*

Zach Bowman — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Chevrolet, Diesel

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 at just 2,000 rpm. What's more, the common-rail, direct-injection diesel features an overboost function that allows the engine to deliver up to 280 lb-ft of torque for 10 seconds at a time. Even with 10 more horsepower and 110 more pound-feet of torque than the available turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder in the Cruze, the 2.0-liter diesel engine can return up to 42 mpg (highway) bolted to its six-speed automatic transmission.

If you're counting, that figure meets the less powerful Cruze Eco with a six-speed manual transmission. More importantly, the auto transmission Cruze Diesel matches its main competition, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, in highway fuel economy. The Cruze 2.0 TD (as it will be badged) can also handle up to 20 percent biodiesel (B20), whereas the Jetta is rated only for B5. General Motors has not released city fuel economy for its newest diesel, but we do know how much it will cost you to jump behind the driver's seat.

GM will kindly ask for $25,695, plus an $810 destination fee. That marks a $2,115 premium over a loaded Cruze LTZ Auto and $2,640 more than the Jetta TDI, though the MSRP will net you a leather interior, 17-inch alloy wheels and an Aero Performance Package, as well as a two-year maintenance plan and five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Compared to the gas-powered Cruze, you also lose a couple cubic feet of rear cargo space thanks to a 17-liter diesel emission fluid tank. That urea fluid, which helps put the clean in clean diesel, will need to be refilled at least every 10,000 miles.

The Cruze's diesel engine will be built in Kaiserslautern, Germany and the car will be produced starting in April at GM's plant in Lordstown, OH. Sales should kick off in May or June and cars will first roll out in 13 select states where GM has had success selling diesel-powered Silverado trucks. If you're thinking GM did something similar when the Volt was released, you're right. GM is again targeting buyers who are familiar and interested in a new (well, new since 1986, anyway) technology. This time, though, instead of zero emissions and li-ion, the audience knows that there's a significant difference between the label and real-world fuel efficiency of diesel vehicles, and so might be persuaded to do the math on higher diesel fuel costs and come to a favorable conclusion.

You can read the full press releases, both on the Cruze Diesel and its beating heart, below. Now we just have to wait for the wagon.

Sebastian Blanco contributed to this report.

Continue reading 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel arrives with 42 mpg for $25,695*

2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel arrives with 42 mpg for $25,695* originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel destined for Chicago debut

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, Diesel

It's been a little over a year and a half since General Motors first confirmed plans to offer a diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze here in the United States, and we've now learned that the oil-burning compact will debut under the lights of the Chicago Auto Show in February. According to GM Authority, the Cruze Eco-D will be introduced as part of the entire 2014 model year Cruze range, set to go on sale in the second quarter of this year.

Earlier reports have indicated that the diesel Cruze will be able to achieve fuel economy numbers in the range of 50 miles per gallon. For comparison, the similarly sized Volkswagen Jetta TDI is rated at 30/42 mpg city/highway, but as we found out in our long-term test of the 2011 model, hitting 50 mpg was a piece of cake.

Official specifications will be released at the time of the 2014 Cruze's unveiling, though reports have stated that the sedan will be powered by a reworked version of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four found in the Holden Cruze CDX overseas. In that application, the four-pot oil-burner produces 160 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque - increases of 20 hp and 29 lb-ft over the 2.0-liter engine used in VW's Jetta TDI.

We've reached out to Chevrolet officials for confirmation but have yet to receive a response as of this writing. Stay tuned.

2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel destined for Chicago debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent)

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Diesel

It may come as a shock, but diesel cars are doing well outside of their traditional European home. The just-released Mazda CX-5 shows that diesels are selling beyond expectations in Japan, but the real story is that we might be seeing the start of a golden era for diesel-powered cars in the U.S. In fact, clean diesel sales were up 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012 over Q1 2011, a trend - and it is a trend, since diesel sales were up 27 percent in 2011 - that the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) says is due to higher fuel prices pushing people into the efficient oil-burners.

Allen Schaeffer, DTF's executive director, said in a statement that, "I expect clean diesel auto sales to increase further as several new diesel cars are introduced in the U.S. market in the next year."

Right now, it's pretty much all Jetta TDI, all the time.

Once those other vehicles arrive, we'll see how the market shakes out. Right now, it's pretty much all Jetta TDI, all the time. A while back, we spoke with Lars Ullrich, the director of marketing and business excellence, diesel systems North America, for Robert Bosch LLC. He told us that diesel Jettas made up 44 percent of all diesels sold in the U.S. last year, which makes the Jetta sort of the Prius of diesels in America. Last year, Volkswagen had 58 percent of all diesel sales in the U.S.

Does this mean the Jetta TDI is "the" diesel in the U.S.? Ullrich said it depends on how you look at the numbers. About 60 percent of all Audi A3s sold in the U.S. in 2011, for example, were diesel, but the A3 sells in smaller numbers overall than the Jetta. When you have diesels available in high-volume models, he said, you end up selling a lot of diesels.

Diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011.

What does the big picture look like? Overall, diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011. That may not sound like a lot, but compare it to the hybrid market share, which has gone from 2.7 to 2.4 to 2.1 percent over the last three years, Ullrich said. Today, there are 25 clean diesel models available in the U.S. By 2014, that number will double, he said, which gives us an indication of where the market is moving. Echoing Schaeffer, Bosch's prediction is that the U.S. will see diesels grab 10 percent of the market by 2015.

While increasingly popular, diesels are not perfect. There are issues like the $32-a-gallon urea liquid, for example, and a fossil fuel is a fossil fuel. But it's clear that Americans are considering diesel more than they used to. The question is what happens when the diesel Chevrolet Cruze and Jeep Grand Cherokee arrive? Or more of Mazda's Skyactiv-D models? And, further down the line, when we see more merging of electric and diesel powertrains, where the diesel - perhaps renewable diesel - is burned in an efficient generator to generate electricity. That's when things get even more exciting.

High gas prices are helping plug-in vehicles and hybrids do quite well in the U.S., too. The Diesel Technology Forum says hybrid sales increased 37.2 percent while plug-in electrics jumped 323 percent. Overall, vehicle sales were up 13.4 percent. For more number-crunching details, see our monthly green car sales charts for January, February and March of 2012. The DTF has compiled a list of all the diesel-powered vehicles available in the U.S. here.

Continue reading Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent)

Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesel Chevrolet Cruze to be built in Lordstown, Ohio

Zach Bowman — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, Diesel

The Detroit News reports that the diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze will be manufactured at the General Motors Lordstown, Ohio plant. GM is slated to retool the facility's body shop and assembly line next year through a $5.5-million investment, according to Tom Mock, a spokesman for GM. The Lordstown facility already produces the gasoline Cruze on three shifts Monday through Friday in order to keep up with demand. The Detroit News reports that the plant has recently taken to operating on the weekends to maintain the volume, as well.

The diesel Chevrolet Cruze is set to arrive in 2013, and though GM hasn't released any official powerplant decisions or fuel-economy estimates as of yet, the vehicle is expected to return somewhere around 50 miles per gallon when it arrives. This is the first legitimate diesel passenger car effort from a domestic manufacturer in years, and rumors indicate the vehicle will come boasting a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with around 147 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque.

Diesel Chevrolet Cruze to be built in Lordstown, Ohio originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesel Chevrolet Cruze coming to U.S. in 2013

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Diesel

Rumors of a diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze have been floating around the Intertubes ever since the sedan's launch last year, but now, we have the official word straight from General Motors: A diesel Cruze is definitely coming to the United States. Unfortunately, we won't see the oil-burning Cruze until sometime in 2013, likely as part of the car's mid-cycle refresh.

As of this writing, GM has yet to confirm any powertrain details, though earlier rumors had suggested that a 2.0-liter engine with 147 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque could be the powerplant of choice. In Australia, though, under the hood of the Holden Cruze, the 2.0-liter diesel is good for 160 hp and 265 lb-ft.

Since GM is using the new diesel model as a way to "bolster the already fuel-efficient Cruze lineup," we wouldn't be surprised if a less-powerful but more-efficient engine was offered. Currently, the Cruze Eco with a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four is good for 138 hp, 148 lb-ft and up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway.

What say you, readers? Could a diesel-powered Cruze hit the lofty 50 mpg mark? Give us your best fuel economy estimates in the comments, and hit the jump for GM's official press release.

Continue reading Diesel Chevrolet Cruze coming to U.S. in 2013

Diesel Chevrolet Cruze coming to U.S. in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Diesel Chevrolet Cruze confirmed for U.S.

Zach Bowman — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:16:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Etc., Chevrolet, GM, Rumormill, Diesel

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to the crew at GMInsideNews, General Motors is mulling the notion of introducing a diesel Chevrolet Cruze to the American market. Sources within the Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant responsible for piecing the compact sedan together have confirmed that a diesel Cruze will be built for 2013. If that's not enough to wipe the stink of skepticism off your person, GMI says that additional sources within The General's engineering team have confirmed that an oil-burning Cruze is on the company's schedule.

Production is rumored to kick off on the project at some point next year.

There's even rumor that GM is currently testing diesel Cruze models around the greater Detroit area right now. While no power or fuel economy numbers are available at the moment, GM is expected to make use of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for the new model. That would be the same lump found in the Holden Cruze CDX, which turns out 147 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque with up to 34 miles per gallon combined.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco: Quick Spin

Report: Diesel Chevrolet Cruze confirmed for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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