Update: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Unveiled
For more information about the Chevrolet Cruze, including news, reviews, photos, and videos, please visit its master landing page.
We hate looking a gift horse in the mouth, but this isn’t what we were hoping for. This is the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, a vehicle we’ve been waiting some time for. Its 2.0-liter turbodiesel produces 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which represents a 10-horsepower and 120-pound-foot improvement over the standard Cruze’s 1.4-liter turbo.
It’ll return 42 miles per gallon on the highway and can zip to 60 miles per hour in 8.6 seconds. For those keeping track at home, that makes the oil-burning Cruze half-a-second faster to 60 miles per hour than the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, while returning an identical 42 mpg on the highway.
Our problem with the Cruze is this; It is not cheap. Unoptioned, it starts at $25,695, or only slightly more than a mid-range Jetta TDI (a basic, entry level TDI can be had for $23,055, though). But the Cruze is going to be parked in the showroom next to a car that looks identical, returns the same 42-mpg highway number, and has a starting price of just $20,490 (that’d be the Cruze Eco, for people still guessing). Importantly, the cost of diesel is generally higher in the US than gas. Pair that with the extra $5000 that the Diesel demands and the fact that it’s no more efficient than the Cruze Eco, and we’re starting to wonder how Chevy dealers are going to move this oil-burning sedan.
The 2014 Cruze Diesel goes on sale this summer.
Please scroll down for the official press release from Chevrolet
Chevrolet Debuts 2014 Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel
Turbocharging helps deliver segment-leading 148 horsepower (est.) and 258 lb-ft of torque (est.) with estimated 42 mpg highway
$25,695 MSRP includes destination and two – year maintenance plan
CHICAGO – Chevrolet is entering the U.S. and Canadian diesel car markets this summer with a 2.0L turbo-diesel version of its hottest-selling sedan, the Cruze , featuring the cleanest diesel passenger car engine General Motors has ever produced. Clean diesels generate at least 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions when compared to previous-generation diesels.
Built in Lordstown, Ohio, the 2014 Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel delivers a combination of segment-leading features and efficiency. Based on GM testing, the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel has demonstrated estimated best in segment range and 42 mpg on the highway with spirited performance and the durability diesel owners value around the globe.
“Chevrolet has a diverse portfolio of products and technologies to meet the needs of the most discerning customer, whether it’s driving across town gas free in a Spark EV or cross-country in a clean turbo diesel,” said Chris Perry, Chevrolet vice president of marketing.
The compact sedan’s new 2.0L turbo-diesel engine produces an estimated 148 horsepower (110 kW) and 258 lb.-ft torque (350 Nm) with 0-60 performance of 8.6 seconds, which is better than the Volkswagen Jetta TDI automatic and competitive with German diesel cars that dominate the U.S. market.
Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel’s emissions will be below stringent U.S. environmental standards including Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards.
“Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel fills an important role in Chevrolet’s diverse four-cylinder lineup, and is primed to win over diesel devotees and compact car buyers with its performance, torque and fuel economy,” said Perry. “We leveraged engineering expertise from around the globe to develop a world-class, low-emissions engine to give U.S. and Canadian customers a car that’s both fun to drive and practical at the pump.”
With a starting price at $ 25,695, including a $810 destination charge (excludes tax, title, license, and dealer fees) Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, 3.20 final drive ratio, 140-amp alternator, 800-cold-cranking-amps battery, 17-inch alloy wheels, ultra-low-rolling resistance all-season tires, rear spoiler, Aero Performance Package and leather-appointed seating.
Other standard features include Chevrolet’s infotainment system MyLink, a two-year maintenance plan, and a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
“Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel is the most sophisticated passenger car diesel engine GM has ever produced,” said Jens Wartha, GM global program manager and chief engineer for the Cruze’s diesel engine. “We merged European diesel expertise with the real world driving preferences of North American consumers.”
GM has sold nearly two million Chevrolet Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010. GM produced more than half a million small diesel-engine cars across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America last year, including Cruze. In Europe, approximately 40 percent of Cruze models are diesel-powered.
Diesel details
Cruze’s 2.0L turbo-diesel is based on proven architecture already used in European models. Collaborating with Italian and German engineering groups, GM’s diesel experts in the United States adapted the engine to accommodate more stringent diesel emission standards and a wider range of driving conditions – including colder climates and higher altitudes – for the United States and Canada.
“This Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel represents a new era in diesel performance for American cars,” said Jens Wartha, GM chief engineer. “We’ve adapted a proven engine from Europe, the world’s diesel capital, and married it with the emissions-reducing technology that was perfected in the United States. It’s a great example of how Chevrolet’s global resources work harmoniously to produce the right product at the right time and for the right market.”
Cruze’s new 2.0L turbo-diesel delivers an estimated 148 horsepower (110 kW) and 258 lb.-ft. of torque (350 Nm). Peak torque is achieved at a low 2,000 rpm for a sustained feeling of power on demand at almost all speeds – particularly when passing or entering a freeway onramp. The engine has an overboost feature capable of increasing torque to an estimated 280 lb.-ft. (380 Nm), for stronger acceleration periods of about 10 seconds.
“With the benefit of continuous refinement in other markets, the 2.0L turbo-diesel comes to the United States and Canada with performance that will impress,” said Mike Siegrist, assistant chief engineer. “It is powerful, efficient and clean. It will change perceptions of what a diesel car can be, while giving customers another fuel efficient choice in the Cruze lineup.”
Cruze models in the United States and Canada offer a 1.4L turbo, a 1.4L Eco model and 1.8L naturally aspirated engine.
The 2.0L turbo-diesel engine provides greater fuel economy than a comparably sized gasoline engine through greater thermal efficiency, a higher compression ratio and an unthrottled combustion process. It features an iron cylinder block and a forged steel crankshaft, each designed to stand up to the greater cylinder pressures commensurate with a turbo-diesel engine.
A lightweight aluminum cylinder head and aluminum intake manifold contribute to the engine’s comparatively low weight of 408 pounds (185 kg), helping the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel deliver a balanced ride with outstanding handling characteristics. Additional highlights include:
Dual overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters with low-friction roller-finger followers
Quiet belt-driven cams/valvetrain with high-strength belt material and tensioner rated for 100,000 miles
High-strength aluminum pistons with reinforced top ring and integral combustion bowl design
Central direct injection, with the injector positioned in the middle of the cylinder, with the bowl in the piston serving as the combustion chamber. This enables a high 16.5:1 compression ratio that enhances power and combustion efficiency
Variable-swirl intake manifold design, which optimizes air charge mixture motion in the cylinders for a more-efficient combustion that enhances performance and reduces emissions
Common-rail fuel system with Piezo fuel injectors that create multiple injections per combustion for greater performance, combustion efficiency and quietness
Variable-nozzle turbocharger that broadens the engine’s torque curve, particularly at low rpm, and supports greater high-rpm horsepower. It is mounted close to the exhaust outlet of the engine for quicker “spool up” of the turbine and faster “light off” of the exhaust catalyst
Intercooling system produces a cooler, denser air charge for greater power
Piston oil jets that help reduce friction and optimize piston temperature for greater performance and efficiency
Turbocharger bearings are oil-lubricated and cooled via an oil cooler
Variable-displacement oil pump helps save fuel by optimizing the oil pressure, which reduces friction
Vacuum pump designed for lower engine friction
Ceramic glow plugs, which provide greater cold-start performance over conventional metal glow plugs (an engine oil heater is offered for cold climates)
B20 bio-diesel compatibility.
Quiet, smooth performance is enabled by a number of features on and around the engine. There are also sound-absorbing features added to the Cruze, specific to the diesel model, including a unique dash mat, hood blanket and more.
A precise exhaust gas recirculation control system features a high-capacity cooler and bypass feature that enable the engine to meet United States and Canada’s tough diesel emissions regulations. There is also an exhaust after-treatment system is similar to what is used on Chevrolet’s heavy-duty trucks and vans equipped with the Duramax diesel, including a diesel particulate filter and urea injection, that helps make the 2.0L the cleanest diesel passenger car engine ever from GM.
An approximately 4.5-gallon (17 liters) tank in the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel holds enough diesel emissions fluid to provide at least 10,000 miles (16,000 km) of driving between refills. The system is also designed for servicing to coincide with oil changes, for greater convenience.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
Shop
Most Popular
