New Cruze Diesel MPG "Comparable To Cruze ECO"; In Showrooms In May

[Perian]

Tribune Chronicle

January 15, 2013


The 2014 Cruze diesel fuel area may look like this unit from Audi - A supplement will be necessary for emissions purposes.

Article Quotes:

The 2014 diesel-powered Cruze model is expected to begin production at the Lordstown assembly plant in April and will likely hit showrooms in May. The engine will be manufactured in Germany, the home of successful European diesel Cruze models.

Gas mileage and torque are the factors that Landy believes will lead buyers to a diesel car.

While the company has not released diesel Cruze mpg and output stats - Landy said engineers have not yet finalized the data - she said fuel economy will be comparable to a Cruze Eco, listed at 42 highway mpg, but with added range. By comparison, a hybrid model delivers better fuel economy in the city, she said.

Due to a higher compression rate in the engine cylinders and greater density of energy in diesel fuel itself, diesel-powered engines are able to produce more power per gallon than gasoline-powered engines.

The diesel will bolster the already fuel-efficient Cruze lineup. Cruze Eco, with a standard six-speed manual transmission, is the most fuel-efficient gas-powered/non-hybrid vehicle in America.

And as far as power, a diesel-powered small car model will provide the torque of a bigger engine, Landy said,.

"It's going to be new. A lot of compact car buyers are not looking for a diesel, but we do expect a success," Landy said. "The diesel buyers that we know, and what we understand, are very passionate about diesels."

The automaker just might find its niche market in diesel truck owners, often the more educated men, who now are looking for a smaller model.

[Perian]

While the company has not released diesel Cruze mpg and output stats - Landy said engineers have not yet finalized the data - she said fuel economy will be comparable to a Cruze Eco, listed at 42 highway mpg, but with added range. By comparison, a hybrid model delivers better fuel economy in the city, she said.

Ms. Landi hits us with a very interesting statement here.

It seems like no magic "50 MPG" is on the way with the Cruze diesel. Look at her quote - she states the estimated final (highway) figure will be comparable to the manual transmission Cruze ECO (42mpg) but with greater range.

This could possible mean the following: The diesel will get about the same MPG as the Cruze ECO. However, what does she mean by "greater range"? Possibly this: The Cruze ECO has a 12.6 gallon gas tank giving it a highway range of 529 miles. The Cruze diesel could possibly use the standard Cruze gas tank with its 15.6 gallon capacity. Thus if true, the Cruze diesel will have a greater range then the ECO at 655 miles.

Bottom line: The official, EPA rated Cruze diesel MPG numbers may possibly disappoint, hurting the marketing potential of this new Cruze model. The (urea) additive requirement and estimated $2000 option cost are not going to help either.

However, if the price point is lower than the competition from VW and Mazda...

[jzchev28]

This is really a case that I'm praying they are under promising...

[PaleGreen]

Big disappointment on the fuel economy. If they're hoping to push it based on raw performance, surely the 2.0T would be a more interesting option.

[Al63240]

Even though Diesels usually hold value a little better than gassers, who is going to want to foot the bill up front for the diesel model if the (usually) primary advantage is no longer an advantage. If all it gets is eco mileage, this will be the car they put on the pedestal saying, "see, Americans don't want diesels". Like was said above, I'm praying this is under-promise, over-deliver.

[Tone]

If it only get Eco fuel economy, I wonder if it will be marketed more as a fuel-efficient performance upgrade, kind of like Eco-boost on the Ford F150. If that's the case, I'm just as curious about the performance figures as I am about the EPA ratings.

[FenwickHockey65]

It might be an MPG or two above the Cruze Eco. The question here is that with a manual or automatic? My mother was interested in a Cruze Eco until she found out 42 MPG is manual-only. Her manual-driving skills have deteriorated after 30-some years of driving automatics.

If it approaches even just 45 MPG with an automatic, it'll still appeal to a wide range of consumers.

[bballr4567]

Dont forget either that the EPA testing for diesels is horrible. They are ALWAYS underrated no matter who makes them.


An automatic diesel Cruze getting 44-46 MPG would be very nice.

[TechnoAura]

Ms. Landi hits us with a very interesting statement here.

It seems like no magic "50 MPG" is on the way with the Cruze diesel. Look at her quote - she states the estimated final (highway) figure will be comparable to the manual transmission Cruze ECO (42mpg) but with greater range.

This could possible mean the following: The diesel will get about the same MPG as the Cruze ECO. However, what does she mean by "greater range"? Possibly this: The Cruze ECO has a 12.6 gallon gas tank giving it a highway range of 529 miles. The Cruze diesel could possibly use the standard Cruze gas tank with its 15.6 gallon capacity. Thus if true, the Cruze diesel will have a greater range then the ECO at 655 miles.

Bottom line: The official, EPA rated Cruze diesel MPG numbers may possibly disappoint, hurting the marketing potential of this new Cruze model. The (urea) additive requirement is not going to help either.

Perian,

I think you hit the nail on the head with your hypothesis for what Ms. Landi means by "greater range." Remember, the reason behind the smaller fuel tank in the Cruze Eco is for weight savings to increase fuel economy. At least, that is the explanation I recall reading. Assuming the MSRP of the diesel-powered Cruze will be greater than that of a comparably equipped Eco variant, I think many potential Cruze buyers will overlook the diesel. I imagine most new car buyers who are interested in fuel savings look at miles per gallon, as opposed to greater range, thus overlooking the diesel's potential.

You are correct in stating that the EPA rating for the Cruze diesel will hurt its marketing potential. It will certainly pose a challenge for the marketing staff!

[mjd1001]

I was hoping for at least mid to high 40's for the highway mileage.

With it only looking like low 40's, this thing better have good hp and a ton of torque. But then again, even if it did, I think they would be better off shooting for the higher mpg.

[bobojay]

Hate to say this, but if it only gets close to the same range as the ECO, it'll be a failure. Very few buy a car based on range.
It'll be a shame if it doesn't succeed

[Car253]

MPG comparable to the Cruze ECO would be a huge disappointment. Who would pay a premium for a diesel engine, pay more per gal for fuel and have to contend with an expensive additive? I was hoping for at least a 25% gain in fuel economy.

[bballr4567]

I was hoping for at least mid to high 40's for the highway mileage.

With it only looking like low 40's, this thing better have good hp and a ton of torque. But then again, even if it did, I think they would be better off shooting for the higher mpg.

Its more than likely going to be the fastest Cruze there is.

Hate to say this, but if it only gets close to the same range as the ECO, it'll be a failure. Very few buy a car based on range.
It'll be a shame if it doesn't succeed

Nope, but how many people want ECO manual type MPG without the manual? Lots apparently. I wonder what the manual take rate is on the Eco. Got to remember that the 42 MPG only comes with the manual equipped models and for the autos its 26/39. If the diesel can pull off 30/43 for the automatic it would be very nice.

[Ed753]

As of today, in my area Diesel is almost 30% higher in price.......... ($3.09 vs. $3.99)

Doesn't this car also have a higher MSRP?

Clearly its smarter for GM to bring this car, instead of offering a true hybrid..............

IMHO that all the Cruze buyers that are looking for Max-Trailering capability, will choose this car.

[bballr4567]

MPG comparable to the Cruze ECO would be a huge disappointment. Who would pay a premium for a diesel engine, pay more per gal for fuel and have to contend with an expensive additive? I was hoping for at least a 25% gain in fuel economy.

Do you know how much the additive is?

Plus, I have to bring this up every single time a diesel thread comes up because someone always assumes that the markup for a diesel engine magically goes away once its purchased. It doesnt. In fact, in vehicles that offer a diesel engine they all have higher resale value than their gas counterparts throughout the life of the vehicle.