Chevrolet Cruze Gets A Diesel For 2013

[William Maley]

Chevrolet Cruze Gets A Diesel For 2013

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

February 19, 2011

Last fall, GM executive Tom Stephens said at the Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) conference that a GM vehicle would come with a diesel engine. Two vehicles immediately came to mind; the Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze. Now, we know what vehicle it will be: the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze.

Management told workers at the Lordstown, OH plant about the news last week. The workers were also told production for the diesel Cruze would begin sometime next year. Documents have the diesel engine with the option code of "LUZ" on the order form.

The engine that could be used is a modifed version of the 2.0L turbodiesel rated at 148 horsepower (110 kW) and 236 foot-pounds (320 Newton-meters) of torque going through either five speed manual or six speed automatic. In the European fuel ecomomy testing, the 2.0L turbodiesel got 42 miles per gallon combined (50.4 miles per Imperial gallon).

Source: GM Inside News: North American Cruze To Get Diesel Power

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm guessing that is 42mpg combined.

[William Maley]

I'm guessing that is 42mpg combined.

Correct

[Lamar]

It'd be only one of two compact sedans in the USA to be offered with one, and the only US-built one.

Hey, why not.

[regfootball]

as long as they don't charge an arm and a leg. I would hope it has some of the Eco's gas saving features.

[loki]

as long as they don't charge an arm and a leg. I would hope it has some of the Eco's gas saving features.

that's what i was going to say...

is it keeping the Eco's "enhancements"?

[William Maley]

that's what i was going to say...

is it keeping the Eco's "enhancements"?

No one knows at the moment.. I would hope GM is looking into utilizing some Eco enhancements for the diesel

[Drew Dowdell]

With 236 lb-ft at 1,250rpm, weight is less problematic to fuel economy.

[SeanLoh]

There are two versions of the 2.0L diesel and I'm hoping we get the smaller one with a 5 speed and 6 speed auto. I think more emphasis should be placed on fuel economy than power. Also I think GM would be wise to use the Eco model as the base, but be she to offer it in LTZ trim, which I do not believe the Eco is offered in. And I hope they call it the DuraEco lol

[William Maley]

And I hope they call it the DuraEco

and GM now has a name for their upcoming line of fuel efficient diesel trucks

[SeanLoh]

and GM now has a name for their upcoming line of fuel efficient diesel trucks

You laugh now, but wait until they have this engine EPA certified. Think of the implications for the next gen small truck

[smk4565]

NICE. Way better than the wimpy gas engine, and more efficient. Now GM is starting to get it. Although the Cruze seats are horrible.

[daves87rs]

Cool!

[regfootball]

i doubt anyone looking for diesel like mpg is going to get their shorts in a bind about having a watts link suspension. instead i am sure they would enjoy the extra mpg the lighter setup of the cruze has.

diesel is back to being more expensive than gas. so diesel still has to have a significant mpg advantage to offset the inconvenience and the cost.

strange they can find the funds to offer a diesel (niche) but can't offer anything with some real oomph under the hood for gas preferring customers.

Edited February 20, 2011 by regfootball

[ocnblu]

Now this is progress. They must see Volkswagen's TDi trending ever upward. The diesel will fix the car for economy, but what will fix it for fun, youthfulness and non-invisibility?

I almost rear-ended a dark blue Cruze yesterday with temporary tags driven by an 80-year old dude. He slammed on his brakes and turned... no signal. Sooo fitting a fate for this car as it is presented.

[ZL-1]

The engine that could be used is a modifed version of the 2.0L turbodiesel rated at 148 horsepower (110 kW) and 236 foot-pounds (320 Newton-meters) of torque

New diesel engine on the Cruze is rated at 163PS @ 3800rpm and 360Nm @ 1750rpm

I think there's a version rated at about 130PS, but they don't sell that here as the Portuguese tax is all about displacement and CO2 emissions.

[smk4565]

Now this is progress. They must see Volkswagen's TDi trending ever upward. The diesel will fix the car for economy, but what will fix it for fun, youthfulness and non-invisibility?

True on both counts. Diesel will give awesome fuel economy, but the fun-factor and personality aren't there. It is boring, but so are the Corolla and Civic and they sell. Although Corolla and Civic are nameplates that have been around for 40 years and are well known.

[William Maley]

You laugh now, but wait until they have this engine EPA certified. Think of the implications for the next gen small truck

What makes you think I'm laughing.. I can see it

[avro206]

True on both counts. Diesel will give awesome fuel economy, but the fun-factor and personality aren't there. It is boring, but so are the Corolla and Civic and they sell. Although Corolla and Civic are nameplates that have been around for 40 years and are well known.

Have you driven a modern diesel? I had some seat time in a 3/4 ton reg can Duramax recently. It was very fun to drive! A slight lag, if you hit the gas too hard on take off but then the huge mountain of TQ kicked in pulled HARD and EFFORTLESSLY. No its not the same as running an engine to 6-7K rpm but it's still fun.

A diesel Cruze will out accelerate any gas engine in the Cruze so far and get the best mileage. Win-win.

[NOS2006]

Will this be our Cruze SS?

[pow]

I wonder if it'll get a lean NOx trap (Jetta TDI) or SCR urea injection (Passat TDI). Part of the reason why the larger, heavier Passat TDI will get better MPG than the Jetta TDI is because of SCR, which doesn't require the engine to burn off the stuff trapped in the DPF.

At the moment, the Jetta TDI doesn't get much better fuel economy than a Cruze Eco manual. Let's hope GM tunes it for economy rather than performance.

[hyperv6]

Problem one solved with GM offering a small Diesel.

On to problem two. Get people to buy it outside the normal small group of diesel fans.

[regfootball]

i think improving the fleet average had more to do with this than wanting to satisfy the diesel fans desires.

it's cheaper to throw the diesel in the cruze and make a few of em to raise the average incrementally than it is to bring over several microcars.

I wonder what a spark diesel would get for mpg.

[ocnblu]

If a Cruze diesel means we will be spared the Spark in America, then I will put a deposit on one right now.

[hyperv6]

i think improving the fleet average had more to do with this than wanting to satisfy the diesel fans desires.

it's cheaper to throw the diesel in the cruze and make a few of em to raise the average incrementally than it is to bring over several microcars.

I wonder what a spark diesel would get for mpg.

That was my 2nd point. GM needs more than the small group of Diesel fans to buy this car. Most of them will never give up their VW anyway. IF GM or anyone wants to sell more Diesels for better fleet ave they need to grow a market here in America. Right now there is not much of one nor is there much demand.

I think they would do well with a small Turbo Diesel in the 1/2 ton trucks but in a car it will be a struggle. The old GM car diesels have hurt the market preceptions to the point Ford and Chrysler would even have a hard time selling them. The public needs educated on the new Diesels.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Problem one solved with GM offering a small Diesel.

On to problem two. Get people to buy it outside the normal small group of diesel fans.

The Golf and Jetta TDI are extremely popular in Canada.

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't think diesels are un-fun at all... but it will require a strong marketing campaign by GM and I'm not sure they have the capability of that yet.

[Croc]

I don't think diesels are un-fun at all... but it will require a strong marketing campaign by GM and I'm not sure they have the capability of that yet.

Historically, GM has NEVER been able to market their products well. When you're #1, they kind of sell themselves in a way, I guess.

[regfootball]

at least the one car that is the best one for reinventing diesel's image, it is the Cruze. In that regard, GM has made a good choice. I think what happens is this ends up being a 'token diesel'. If it sells 10-15k i will still be surprised. If they keep the price reasonable then it should sell that.

[hyperv6]

GM is doing a lot of things different in marketin. Did you ever think you would see a ZR1 marketed on TV? No less being hammered around the track.

Diesels can be fun car with Turbo's, just look at what the truck guys are doing. And if you haver been to a ALMS race you know what Audi has done on the track.

The key is to get the people in the United States to not think of the stero type that the have on Diesels. Most think of the Old Olds that got a bad rep fair or not. They think dirty city bus. They think you will have to plug it in to start it in the winter. They think where am I going to find diesel fuel even though it is easier to find than ever.

Many things that once were true have been improved over the years and the people other than those Eurocentric types need to be re educted.

GM I think can do this but it is not going to change over night. It will take a few years of reliability and the ability to show they are very acceptable cars for todays drivers. Also if they can keep the price of the fuel down it will help. For a while Diesel was not cheap and any savings over gas in MPG was gone in price.

[daves87rs]

Will this be our Cruze SS?

Maybe!

[frogger]

Will this be our Cruze SS?

Maybe!

Cruze SS just in time for $5 a gallon

[balthazar]

I would've said the old stigmas about diesel autos were buried with 3 decades of time and the excellent Big 3 truck diesels, but I just saw a BMW commercial where they had a hoary old volvo wagon chuggin up a hill, the rear 3rd of the car black with soot & the tailpipe spewing. Then they show a clean, shiny BMW doing a sporty powerslide, then passing said volvo in a swath so wide the driver must've been at least 85.

I don't think bringing those very old stereotypes back is helpful to ANYONE trying to market diesel cars. Disconnected. Add to that- Bowie is horrible.

EDIT: here it is :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gan-BYQdGDk

Edited February 26, 2011 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

I don't see any correlation between diesel truck sales and diesel car sales..I doubt if potential buyers of diesel cars would pay attention to diesel trucks. Diesel never had a stigma for me, my Dad's diesel Escort that I drove for a few years was a great little car.

[ocnblu]

Excellent commercial, balthy. Was that broadcast in our country? You can definitely hear that diesel sound in the new BMW.

To me a diesel engine is a much more customer-friendly way to offer excellent fuel economy without needless complication.

[Robert Hall]

Excellent commercial, balthy. Was that broadcast in our country? You can definitely hear that diesel sound in the new BMW.

That was a Super Bowl ad, IIRC..

[balthazar]

Ran on the travel channel this morning.

Edited February 26, 2011 by balthazar

[hyperv6]

I would've said the old stigmas about diesel autos were buried with 3 decades of time and the excellent Big 3 truck diesels, but I just saw a BMW commercial where they had a hoary old volvo wagon chuggin up a hill, the rear 3rd of the car black with soot & the tailpipe spewing. Then they show a clean, shiny BMW doing a sporty powerslide, then passing said volvo in a swath so wide the driver must've been at least 85.

I don't think bringing those very old stereotypes back is helpful to ANYONE trying to market diesel cars. Disconnected. Add to that- Bowie is horrible.

EDIT: here it is :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gan-BYQdGDk

I have to agree. This is the opposite of what I would want expessed. I think a commercial with someone in a Diesel and not knowing they were even in one would be a better way to go.

We here in the mid west have many of thoes Volvos still on the road with the black tailgates.

Th problem for the Big Three is the truck engines really do little to help with the car engines. People here do little to connect them and in Fords case with the early Powerstrokes that is a good thing. Dodge would have a hard time relating a Fiat Diesel to a Cat.

GM would have a shot if they would intro their engines as a Diesel family and not just as car or truck Diesels. I think also a diesel racing effort somewhere would help as Audi did with R 8 and others racers. These are the cars that woke me to how really good the new engines can be.

But for the sake of everyone the old sterotypes need to be left alone. I would bet many after the BMW spot still did not know the BMW was a Diesel unless they were focused on the spot.

[ocnblu]

I disagree. Showing the contrast between diesels of old and new, while drilling (at) home their virtues (economy, torque, longevity), can only improve their standing among the public at large... who may have had an eccentric uncle with a 240D or Delta 88.

[G. David Felt]

Time for GM to Step up to the Plate and Hit a Home Run.

Question: How does GM get People to Buy this AWESOME High Mileage Econo-box?

Answer: By Tying in with Colleges across the nation that have BIO-Diesel Programs & companies like MSFT, Google, Amazon that support these programs. Then use the power of Twitter / Facebook to build a word of mouth following for the awesome car!

The pacific NW has many cool options for getting BIO-Diesel. There are many people that once shown the benfits of this engine and the quality of the car would take this over the over hyped Toyota hybrid line.

[G. David Felt]

I would've said the old stigmas about diesel autos were buried with 3 decades of time and the excellent Big 3 truck diesels, but I just saw a BMW commercial where they had a hoary old volvo wagon chuggin up a hill, the rear 3rd of the car black with soot & the tailpipe spewing. Then they show a clean, shiny BMW doing a sporty powerslide, then passing said volvo in a swath so wide the driver must've been at least 85.

I don't think bringing those very old stereotypes back is helpful to ANYONE trying to market diesel cars. Disconnected. Add to that- Bowie is horrible.

EDIT: here it is :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gan-BYQdGDk

That was an awesome commercial with the old mercedes and volvoe, GM SHOULD DO THIS ALSO!!!

Edited February 27, 2011 by dfelt

[Robert Hall]

That was an awesome commercial with the old mercedes and volvo, GM SHOULD DO THIS ALSO!!!

Beyond diesels,

they could do an ad w/ a rusty Vega and a worn out '80s Cavalier and then show the Cruze, to show how far Chevy has come w/ their small cars...or a worn out Geo Metro and the new Sonic..

[ocnblu]

Well are you sure? I think this theme only works if you put in competitors' clunkers and your own brand new bedazzler.

[67impss]

I would've said the old stigmas about diesel autos were buried with 3 decades of time and the excellent Big 3 truck diesels, but I just saw a BMW commercial where they had a hoary old volvo wagon chuggin up a hill, the rear 3rd of the car black with soot & the tailpipe spewing. Then they show a clean, shiny BMW doing a sporty powerslide, then passing said volvo in a swath so wide the driver must've been at least 85.

I don't think bringing those very old stereotypes back is helpful to ANYONE trying to market diesel cars. Disconnected. Add to that- Bowie is horrible.

EDIT: here it is :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gan-BYQdGDk

I have to agree. This is the opposite of what I would want expessed. I think a commercial with someone in a Diesel and not knowing they were even in one would be a better way to go.

We here in the mid west have many of thoes Volvos still on the road with the black tailgates.

Th problem for the Big Three is the truck engines really do little to help with the car engines. People here do little to connect them and in Fords case with the early Powerstrokes that is a good thing. Dodge would have a hard time relating a Fiat Diesel to a Cat Cummins.

GM would have a shot if they would intro their engines as a Diesel family and not just as car or truck Diesels. I think also a diesel racing effort somewhere would help as Audi did with R 8 and others racers. These are the cars that woke me to how really good the new engines can be.

But for the sake of everyone the old sterotypes need to be left alone. I would bet many after the BMW spot still did not know the BMW was a Diesel unless they were focused on the spot.

Fixed - Cat was tied with GM by the way.

[PONTIAC06]

There are many people that once shown the benfits of this engine and the quality of the car would take this over the over hyped Toyota hybrid line.

I agree...and if they offered it with a manual, or even the same powertrain in the Verano, I think I would be one of them...not really a hard decision.

[frogger]

I would be interested depending on the premium over the regular gas models. In Canada the Golf TDI is ~$2500 more than a similar equipped regular gas model.. I wouldn't pay much more of a premium than that just for 10mpg..

[smk4565]

They should ready this engine for the Malibu, Equinox and Terrain as well. If gas hits $4.25 a gallon again this summer, it may be here to stay, and there are lessons to be learned from 2008. The Detroit 3 were able to recover partly because gas prices went back under $3 a gallon, but had gas prices stayed at $4.25 a gallon for the past 2 years, GMC and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep probably would have been wiped out completely.

[balthazar]

hyperv6 ~ >>"Th problem for the Big Three is the truck engines really do little to help with the car engines. People here do little to connect them..."<<

I disagree. In the late '70s/early 80s, these were just 'diesels', but the modern trucks have uber strong identities with proper-named diesels (IE: DuraMax), and this fosters brand recognition. If a play off of the respective names could be swung, the strong consumer recognition with the trucks would readily transfer to car diesels. A lot of non-truck folk know these diesel names after a decade's time, and they are not viewed as 'all the same' anymore. The ball is in marketing's court on this one- done right it could be spun BIG.

[ZL-1]

They should ready this engine for the Malibu, Equinox and Terrain as well.

I agree that a diesel should be in the pipeline, but perhaps the Captiva's 2.2L engine would be a better fit.

[Drew Dowdell]

hyperv6 ~ >>"Th problem for the Big Three is the truck engines really do little to help with the car engines. People here do little to connect them..."<<

I disagree. In the late '70s/early 80s, these were just 'diesels', but the modern trucks have uber strong identities with proper-named diesels (IE: DuraMax), and this fosters brand recognition. If a play off of the respective names could be swung, the strong consumer recognition with the trucks would readily transfer to car diesels. A lot of non-truck folk know these diesel names after a decade's time, and they are not viewed as 'all the same' anymore. The ball is in marketing's court on this one- done right it could be spun BIG.

DuraMini for the diesel 4-cylinder