 |
| 2014cruze.com |
 |
| 2014cruze.com |
 |
| 2014cruze.com |
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
On Sale: September 2013 (nationally)
Base Price: $25,695
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter, 151-hp, 264-lb-ft turbocharged
four-cylinder diesel; FWD, six-speed automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 3,475 lb
0-60 mph: 8.6 sec
Fuel Economy (EPA City/HWY/Combined): 27/46/33
As the name implies, the Cruze diesel is, well, a Chevrolet
Cruze with a diesel engine. It’s the first diesel car GM has sold in the U.S.
since the 1980s; depending upon your age and experience with those V6 and V8 GM
diesels, they were either forgettable or you still haven't forgiven the company
for selling them to an unsuspecting public. We have good news: It’s time to
move on.
The Cruze’s 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four produces 151 hp and
264 lb-ft of torque, and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The
horsepower figure is up 11 and torque is 28 lb-ft higher versus the Volkswagen
Jetta TDI, the car the Cruze clearly has in its crosshairs.
The Jetta diesel accounts for about 20 percent of Jetta
sales in the States. GM won’t hang an ideal sales number on its car but says it
will be available in 13 markets (mostly coastal) now and will go national in
late August or early September. The company says the car can get an estimated
46 mpg on the highway, good for an also estimated 717-mile range -- again, both
numbers conveniently topping what the VW Jetta TDI offers.