2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel

[Talipa2012]

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Tyler Lipa

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

September 5th, 2013

Welcome to the era of diesel. From pick-up trucks to compact sedans there will be more diesel powered choices in the next few years than ever before. Chevrolet’s first foray back into the forbidden realm of diesel powered cars is the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel. Chevrolet didn’t choose to launch its first light duty diesel in an all new vehicle; instead it hid the diesel engine in plain sight under the hood of the unassuming Chevrolet Cruze.

Saving the best for last is overrated so let’s just dive right into the engine bay. Chevrolet’s first light duty diesel displaces 2.0 liters and produces 151 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 264 lb-ft. of torque at 2600 rpm. Chevrolet engineers also added an overboost feature that raises maximum torque to 280 lb.-ft. From a driver’s perspective there is no clear indication when overboost happens. In reality it’s just a marketing gimmick that makes the Cruze sound just a little bit better on paper than its German competitor, the Volkswagen Jetta.

If you’ve always done your own maintenance, the Cruze Diesel is a bit different than what you’ve come to expect. Oil for the Cruze Diesel must meet Dexos2 specifications. Dexos2 is the General Motors standard for light duty diesel engines.. Regular fuel filter changes are also a requirement for diesel engines and typically are required every 12,000 miles. Make sure to keep an eye on the DEF, diesel exhaust fluid, level that can be accessed through the trip computer. The tank, located in the trunk where the spare tire would be holds enough fluid for about 10,000 miles. Diesel exhaust fluid helps the Cruze maintain its clean diesel status. Luckily this fluid is available at auto parts stores, truck stops and even Walmart. Welcome to the life of clean diesel ownership.

Unfortunately it’s very obvious that Chevrolet is new to the world of passenger diesel engines. Compared to modern Volkswagen TDIs the Cruze diesel is reminiscent of diesel engines from the early 2000s. For some, the noise might be endearing, but in North America refinement is the name of the game and this engine needs a little more work. Another issue with the Cruze Turbo Diesel is a significant amount of lag on initial take-off that can be a bit disconcerting when you’re turning left against oncoming traffic.

But what is the rest of the car like? On to page 2!

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On the outside the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel looks just like any other Cruze on the road. Only a small green badge with, “2.0 TD,” on the trunk lid and unique 17 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels set it apart from the rest of the pack. Chevrolet also equipped the Cruze Turbo Diesel with the same aerodynamic package as the Cruze Eco with a smaller radiator grill and shutters that close at high speed to reduce drag.

General Motors does quiet very well and the Cruze is a temple of solace on the highway. If you spend most of your time on the highway then the Cruze Diesel is the perfect companion. Any 2.0 liter gasoline engine might feel a little strained at high speed, but the Cruze really makes it feel like you’re going 20 miles per hour slower than you really are. Around town the Cruze feels heavy and the diesel engine really feels wasted. Don’t drive the Cruze hard, just don’t, this is a road trip and commuter car and that’s just fine. Enjoy the 46 miles per gallon you’re getting on the highway while you relax to your music and podcasts.

Chevrolet is entering the twilight years of the current Cruze and it really shows in the interior quality. Adequate is the best way to describe what it feels like in the Cruze. Everything inside the Cruze is middle of the road and unassuming. This isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to a compact sedan, especially one with something a little different under the hood. Unlike hybrids that have complex drive trains and multiple drive modes the Cruze Turbo Diesel is simple and straightforward. Anyone who can drive a gasoline powered Cruze can drive the new turbo diesel variant.

Infotainment and technology is really where the interior of the Cruze suffers. Chevrolet’s MyLink is wonderful in other models, but suffers from unresponsive redundant buttons that are confusing. Not once did I touch the cluster of buttons below the touch screen radio. Deleting all but the most essential buttons on the center stack would go a long way in bringing the Cruze into the modern world.

The bottom line is this is a car that is really something to lease. The Cruze is starting to show its age and you don’t want to be stuck in a car that already feels five years old. Leasing the Cruze shows General Motors that there is a demand for more and even better diesel engines in the future. Leasing the Cruze Turbo Diesel will let General Motors know that Americans are ready to take a chance on diesel, but that it’s not good enough to own out right. Chevrolet wants to know whether or not consumers are serious about diesels here in the United States. The future of diesel powered cars rests in your hands.

Disclaimer: Chevrolet provided the Cruze Diesel, insurance, and one tank of fuel.

Year: 2014

Make: Chevrolet

Model: Cruze Turbo Diesel

Trim: Diesel Automatic

Engine: 2.0 Liter Common-Rail Turbocharged Intercooled Diesel

Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic

Horsepower @ RPM: (Diesel) 151 @ 4,000

Torque @ RPM: (Diesel) 264 @ 2,600

Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 27/46/33

Curb Weight: 3,475 lbs

Location of Manufacture: Lordstown, Ohio

Base Price: $24,885.00

As Tested Price: $28,105.00* (Includes $810.00 destination charge)

Tyler Lipa is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected]or you can follow him on twitter at @talipa2012

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[ZL-1]

The only thing lacking, really, is a manual transmission.

[Z-06]

Rookie photographer! Self shadows in the picture

Good review.

[G. David Felt]

Great Review for your first one.

Nice pic's, Love your Dusty image of the car, that was well done.

Question how do you feel it compares to the VW choices?

What would be your top 3 must improve items?

What would make it better for the around town short trip auto?

[regfootball]

nice article.....

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/81799-2014-chevy-cruze-diesel/

I am not sure why people might think it's unrefined? It maybe is not as revvy and smooth as the 1.4t, but IMO the cruze diesel is more refined than the VW's. overall i thought the cruze diesel was very refined. a bit buggy in town, but no one who does a ton of in town driving will be buying these. these are road cars.

car and driver....they choked and picked the Jetta.....

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2014-chevrolet-cruze-20td-vs-2013-volkswagen-jetta-tdi-comparison-test

auto.ca did the right thing and went with the Cruze!

http://www.autos.ca/car-comparisons/comparison-test-2013-volkswagen-jetta-tdi-vs-2014-chevrolet-cruze-clean-diesel/

At the end of the day, there was very little debate as to the winner of this particular comparison: it’s the Cruze

I dislike the VW tranny.

[Croc]

Nice write-up, but I have one question:

Chevrolet’s MyLink is wonderful in other models, but suffers from unresponsive redundant buttons that are confusing.

What does this mean? Are there center stack buttons that are pressable and labeled, but serve no function? Redundant of what, touch screen controls?

Some people, myself included, like traditional buttons over a touch interface, but it would really bother me if there are buttons present that are non-functional.

Please clarify; thanks.

[Talipa2012]

Rookie photographer! Self shadows in the picture

Good review.

Sorry I should have cropped it out.

[Talipa2012]

Nice write-up, but I have one question:

Chevrolet’s MyLink is wonderful in other models, but suffers from unresponsive redundant buttons that are confusing.

What does this mean? Are there center stack buttons that are pressable and labeled, but serve no function? Redundant of what, touch screen controls?

Some people, myself included, like traditional buttons over a touch interface, but it would really bother me if there are buttons present that are non-functional.

Please clarify; thanks.

Well there are redundant hard buttons on the dash such as home/back/nav/destination. The location of the hard buttons actually make the touchscreen so high it makes it hard to reach. Having these redundancies really makes it feel like GM wanted to tack on MyLink anyway possible.

I really hope that helps!

[Croc]

Nice write-up, but I have one question:

Chevrolet’s MyLink is wonderful in other models, but suffers from unresponsive redundant buttons that are confusing.

What does this mean? Are there center stack buttons that are pressable and labeled, but serve no function? Redundant of what, touch screen controls?

Some people, myself included, like traditional buttons over a touch interface, but it would really bother me if there are buttons present that are non-functional.

Please clarify; thanks.

Well there are redundant hard buttons on the dash such as home/back/nav/destination. The location of the hard buttons actually make the touchscreen so high it makes it hard to reach. Having these redundancies really makes it feel like GM wanted to tack on MyLink anyway possible.

I really hope that helps!

Somewhat. What, then, do you mean by "unresponsive"?

[Talipa2012]

Great Review for your first one.

Nice pic's, just remember to remove yourself including shadows and make sure nothing grows out of the car like a pole in the middle of the windshield. Best to try and keep non busy backgrounds. Love your Dusty image of the car, that was well done.

Question how do you feel it compares to the VW choices?

What would be your top 3 must improve items?

What would make it better for the around town short trip auto?

1. It needs a new engine this is an older Fiat based design that has been circling around Europe for years.

2.Interior needs to be refreshed. It feels old and the new tech is conflicting with the older design.

I only really have two major gripes about the Cruze. It's a great car and it sells great, but I don't want GM to rest on its laurels.

Around town is going to be difficult. If they put a new variable geometry turbo on it and bring max torque closer to idle then it might be better around town. Torque converter transmissions do a great job managing torquey engines and I think if they work on better engine calibration it could be much friendlier in town.

The only issue with mainly driving the Cruze diesel primarily in town is you will run through DEF quicker. These clean diesels need regular sustained highway driving to regenerate the diesel particulate filter.

I'm glad you like the dusty image. Sorry the other photos were subpar I will do better next time, I promise!

[Talipa2012]

nice article.....

http://www.cheersand...y-cruze-diesel/

I am not sure why people might think it's unrefined? It maybe is not as revvy and smooth as the 1.4t, but IMO the cruze diesel is more refined than the VW's. overall i thought the cruze diesel was very refined. a bit buggy in town, but no one who does a ton of in town driving will be buying these. these are road cars.

car and driver....they choked and picked the Jetta.....

http://www.caranddri...comparison-test

auto.ca did the right thing and went with the Cruze!

http://www.autos.ca/...e-clean-diesel/

At the end of the day, there was very little debate as to the winner of this particular comparison: it’s the Cruze

I dislike the VW tranny.

The car overall is actually quite refined. The only problem I see with this particular engine is a small amount of diesel clatter at idle. I would really like to test both with a decibel meter to see which is quieter.

In regards to the transmission I think a torque converter automatic was a great idea. Dual clutch gear boxes still have trouble in stop and go situations.

[regfootball]

I could hardly hear any clatter when i was inside the Cruze. When i was outside and the car was running, I could definitely tell it was a diesel. There is a BUTTLOAD of soundproofing in this car!

Extremely quiet at cruising speeds....

I have test driven about 4 or 5 or so VW's with the dual clutch tranny and disliked them all. GAs and diesel. Oddly, the Ford Focus with DCT didn't bother me at all really.

Audi's new diesel commercial, I think this commercial will benefit the Cruze and VW more than Audi...LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=amBTr9kcJes

[DieselFit]

I think the Chevy has some potential but since it is new to the diesel engines, it definitely needs to learn more!

[Drew Dowdell]

Chevy is only new to diesels in the U.S.

[TPhoenix]

That was an intriguing read. And it looks like Chevy has a way to go before they master the diesel engine. In time, they'll get better. I'm sure of it.

[regfootball]

wtf, there is nothing wrong with the cruze diesel powertrain! aside from little bits of tranny programming to work on. THE ENGINE IS FINE

[Drew Dowdell]

And that transmission programing seems to be needed regardless of the fuel source.