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AUTOS: 2014 Chevy Cruze Gets Diesel
A turbodiesel option for the compact sedan with great mileage and 258 pound-feet of torque is unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show.
The 2014 Cruze will have Chevrolet's first passenger-car diesel option since 1986. (Photo: Chevrolet)
Slowly but surely it's happening:. American carmakers are starting to embrace diesel technology. Maybe "embrace" is the wrong word; it's more like a kiss or perhaps a peck on the cheek. But finally, oil-burners are getting some action starting this year.
The latest is the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, which gets a turbodiesel option this spring. The car made its debut today at the Chicago Auto Show. The sedan will start at $25,695, including destination charges.
"We're going to emphasize the technology," said Cristi Landy, director of Chevy small car and electrified vehicle marketing. "We're also going to emphasize the performance that you get with a diesel."
It's the first diesel in a passenger car for Chevy since the 1986 Chevette, which ran a 1.8-liter unit. The company offers diesel versions of the Silverado pickup.
Power comes from a 2-liter four-cylinder rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, allowing for a sprint to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds. It will offer an estimated 42 mpg on the highway, though Chevy execs are quick to point out the Cruze should exceed that in real-world driving.
Enthusiasts will look to the peak torque – served up as quickly as 2,000 rpm – as a key benefit. There is also an overboost function that increases torque to 280 pound-feet for about 10 seconds during periods of strong acceleration.
The Cruze announcement comes on the heels of the reveal of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit auto show. The Jeep will get a 3-liter turbo diesel V6 rated at 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet. Chevy says the Cruze diesel will meet U.S. emissions rules, including Tier 2 Bin 5 standards.
The 2-liter engine is sourced from a General Motors factory in Germany; a version is already used in the Opel Insignia, Astra and Zafira. While diesel is new to current Chevy cars in the United States, about 40 percent of Cruzes sold in Europe have the technology.
The car will be assembled in Lordstown, Ohio, starting in April. It begins arriving in May and June in 13 targeted markets, including metro areas in California, Oregon, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., where there is existing demand for passenger-car diesels. After the first two months, rollout will extend nationally.
"We think there's some room here and some opportunity," Landy said.
The Cruze diesel comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. It uses a MacPherson strut front suspension and Z-link setup in rear. The Cruze diesel is a bit heavier than the manual-transmission Cruze eco model, coming in at 3,475 pounds. The diesel engine weighs 408 pounds.
The Cruze diesel will be relatively heavily contented, based on a 2LT trim level of the car. It will take aim at the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and come in as a lower-cost alternative to more expensive, elaborate German luxury diesel cars. Initially, Chevy hopes to attract the diesel faithful before snaring a larger consumer base.
"People who know about and embrace diesel technology will be some of our first buyers," Landy said.
She expects they will have higher levels of education and income than average Cruze buyers, though the average age – in the upper 40s – will remain about the same.
The existing Cruze lineup is comprised of a 1.4-liter turbo, 1.4-liter eco version and 1.8-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engines.
This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.
The latest is the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, which gets a turbodiesel option this spring. The car made its debut today at the Chicago Auto Show. The sedan will start at $25,695, including destination charges.
"We're going to emphasize the technology," said Cristi Landy, director of Chevy small car and electrified vehicle marketing. "We're also going to emphasize the performance that you get with a diesel."
It's the first diesel in a passenger car for Chevy since the 1986 Chevette, which ran a 1.8-liter unit. The company offers diesel versions of the Silverado pickup.
Power comes from a 2-liter four-cylinder rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, allowing for a sprint to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds. It will offer an estimated 42 mpg on the highway, though Chevy execs are quick to point out the Cruze should exceed that in real-world driving.
Enthusiasts will look to the peak torque – served up as quickly as 2,000 rpm – as a key benefit. There is also an overboost function that increases torque to 280 pound-feet for about 10 seconds during periods of strong acceleration.
The Cruze announcement comes on the heels of the reveal of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit auto show. The Jeep will get a 3-liter turbo diesel V6 rated at 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet. Chevy says the Cruze diesel will meet U.S. emissions rules, including Tier 2 Bin 5 standards.
The 2-liter engine is sourced from a General Motors factory in Germany; a version is already used in the Opel Insignia, Astra and Zafira. While diesel is new to current Chevy cars in the United States, about 40 percent of Cruzes sold in Europe have the technology.
The car will be assembled in Lordstown, Ohio, starting in April. It begins arriving in May and June in 13 targeted markets, including metro areas in California, Oregon, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., where there is existing demand for passenger-car diesels. After the first two months, rollout will extend nationally.
"We think there's some room here and some opportunity," Landy said.
The Cruze diesel comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. It uses a MacPherson strut front suspension and Z-link setup in rear. The Cruze diesel is a bit heavier than the manual-transmission Cruze eco model, coming in at 3,475 pounds. The diesel engine weighs 408 pounds.
The Cruze diesel will be relatively heavily contented, based on a 2LT trim level of the car. It will take aim at the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and come in as a lower-cost alternative to more expensive, elaborate German luxury diesel cars. Initially, Chevy hopes to attract the diesel faithful before snaring a larger consumer base.
"People who know about and embrace diesel technology will be some of our first buyers," Landy said.
She expects they will have higher levels of education and income than average Cruze buyers, though the average age – in the upper 40s – will remain about the same.
The existing Cruze lineup is comprised of a 1.4-liter turbo, 1.4-liter eco version and 1.8-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engines.
This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.
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