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Quote: "Diesels are back, and Chevrolet is in the forefront.”

23K views 97 replies 58 participants last post by  gcodori 
#1 ·
Vindy.com

April 17, 2014


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Lordstown-made car outpaces Volkswagen and Audi in survey


The Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel has been named Diesel Car of the Year by Diesel Driver magazine.


When workers at the General Motors plant in Lordstown learned they would be building a diesel version of the popular Chevrolet Cruze, it was a pretty big deal.

“There was speculation well in advance,” said Glenn Johnson, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112. “It was taken with enthusiasm from the very beginning.”

That excitement apparently has been matched by consumers.

A year after the first 2014 Cruze Diesels began rolling off the lines, readers of The Diesel Driver magazine have named the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel best diesel car of the year.

The Cruze, capable of traveling 717 miles on a single tank of fuel, received 59.3 percent of the 11,030 votes cast to take top honors in the magazine’s annual competition that featured the Volkswagen Passat, BMW X5, Jeep Grand Cherokee and others.

“The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, with a market-leading 46 mpg highway [5.11 L/100 km] is clearly setting the pace for diesel-powered cars in the United States,” Jonathan Spira, editorial director of The Diesel Driver, said in a statement. “The message from our readers is clear. Diesels are back, and Chevrolet is in the forefront.”

The recognition came as no surprise to Johnson. Having driven the car himself, he was impressed by both the Cruze Diesel’s performance and its fuel efficiency. “It gives you the torque and power of a V6, with huge fuel economy,” he said.

Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst for Edmunds.com, said it wasn’t clear from the start that a diesel version would fit into the Cruze family.

“I think that overall it was a bit of a stretch,” she said. “So, I think Chevy had to kind of talk to people.”

The message centered on technology and fuel efficiency, and the market responded, Caldwell said. And Wednesday’s award will further boost the Cruze’s profile, with production of the new model tentatively slated to begin this fall. “It lends credibility to a model,” Caldwell said. “Getting people aware of the product, I think, is an important step.”
 
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#11 ·
With the price of gasoline low, diesel fuel high, and $1000-plus incentives on Volkswagen TDI models, I wonder how the Cruze diesel is selling.
Maybe it's b/c I'm in NYC, or maybe b/c I'm old enough to remember $1.50 gas...but I'm sorry, gas isn't cheap. I paid $3.89 for regular yesterday.

We're considering a diesel to replace our Escape hybrid when it's time. Mrs. Smallblock's commute is all highway driving so the only question is does she drive far enough to make a difference. Plus we like having AWD on at least one car and they don't seem to make anymore hybrids that way. So it seems hybrids are out next time and it's just a question of oil or gas.
 
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#3 ·
Now will they offer it on the base model like VW just did, for 23k out the door. Not as part of a upper trim level package. Let's just hope that this transulates into increased sales. Any numbers on that. How is it doing against the VW diesel.
 
#5 ·
Agreed. As a GM guy, I'm very happy to see diesel engines showing up in the lineup, but VW/Audi still OWN the diesel market. The Colorado/Canyon diesels are coming soon, but that gives GM (3) diesel options ((2) if you count the truck twins as a single vehicle). I think a diesel Impala, Malibu, and full-size truck/SUV needs to be in the works in the next 1-5 years (and preferably not limited to LTZ trim only).

I'm betting a diesel powered Equinox would sell pretty well.
 
#6 ·
I just ordered a Cruze diesel to replace the Volt. I test drove the Jetta sedan and sportwagon and although the diesel part was nice and the wagon had tons of room, the rest of the car was not so nice. The Cruze diesel has a $1500 rebate on the hood right now plus $250 in owner loyalty cash. I have supplier pricing plus some GM Card cash so the out the door price was just under $24K for a car with all options except the sun roof and engine block heater.

I'll miss the 87% gas free driving of the Volt, but as my driving pattern is shifting to longer highway commutes and more time on engine/generator, the Cruze diesel is a better fit, even including the $.46 per gallon price premium for diesel over regular unleaded (it's only $.06 over premium unleaded which the Volt requires).
 
#10 · (Edited)
For Diesel, customers need to take a look at both sides of the equation to determine if it's worth it. The price and the economies of the fuels and the difference of emissions between gasoline and diesel.

I still say if a major auto manufacturer develops a cost effective diesel for a compact SUV/Crossover (Escape, Rogue, Equinox/Terrain) with high MPG of around 40. It should be a big hit.
 
#20 ·
For Diesel, customers need to take a look at both sides of the equation to determine if it's worth it. The price and the economies of the fuels and the difference of emissions between gasoline and diesel.
I have another reason... fuel economy plus torque.
GM has powertrains that deliver the goods... diesel and Voltec.
Unfortunately these offerings are extremely limited.
 
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#12 ·
Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst for Edmunds.com, said it wasn’t clear from the start that a diesel version would fit into the Cruze family.

“I think that overall it was a bit of a stretch,” she said. “So, I think Chevy had to kind of talk to people.”
What BS !

The Cruze has always had diesel engines when sold outside the USA - the Delta and Delta II platforms have ALWAYS used diesels because it's a prerequisite for Europe. Mind you the Cruze itself was a poor seller in Europe and now withdrawn.

I often wonder how industry "analysts" get their jobs - certainly not because of their subject knowledge.
 
#33 ·
Don't think she meant it as the entire Cruze program, or if you thought she meant whether a diesel would literally fit into the Cruze. Seems like was speaking in regards to the N.A. Cruze family (or lineup) and the perceptions of diesel vehicles.
 
#15 ·
Anyone got the service requirements and interval for the Cruze diesel. I'm curious how it really pencils with the higher priced fuel, and I'm assuming regular fuel filter changes and more expensive oil changes? I saw a calculation for the Ram and these ate up all the fuel economy savings over a Hemi (but it took really expensive oil), wondering how Cruze diesel compares to gas in real cost to operate.
 
#22 ·
I was curious about that too. I always hear that the maintenace is more expensive, but isn't it done less often?

What was the calculation for the RAM?
 
#18 ·
I disagree 100 percent. Only on weekdays is it adequate. Weekends and holidays are brutal on i95. Driving south into Georgia is a revelation when it goes to six lanes. On i26 from Summerville, sc to i95 there have been 45 deaths in recent years. Six lanes and continuous guardrails are the way to go. Ideally high speed rail would preclude us from having to go 6 lanes but there is no will for that.
 
#19 ·
Also no customers for it.
 
#27 ·
It there a RWD version of this engine? I'm thinking about Cadillac in Europe.
 
#35 ·
The 2.0L diesel sounds sweet just about the match for a Cruze if you got friendly local fast food outlet you could run it for next to nothing on recycled cooking oil.
Sadly, not possible on modern diesels - common rail diesels operate at very high pressure, typically 2,000 psi, so need a very high pressure fuel pump which has to be lubricated by the fuel itself which is possible with EU standard diesel because it's lubricity is part of the specification but not possible using recycled cooking oil.

The date when engines changed to common rail does vary a bit, but typically no cars built in the last 15 years can use recycled cooking oil - even the ancient obsolete VM Motori RA420 fitted to original Cruze and Captiva for Europe is common rail so can't use recycled cooking oil.
 
#38 ·
Chevrolet Cruze Eco. 33 mpg combined. Average price of fuel = $3.66/gallon.

Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. 33 mpg combined. Average price of fuel = $3.96

At 15,000 per year, you will spend for fuel $495.66 more per year with the diesel.

But wait! There's more! The purchase price of the diesel is $5,050 more than the Eco.

So over 8 years, you will spend $9,015.28 more on the diesel than the Eco.
 
#41 ·
So over 8 years, you will spend $9,015.28 more on the diesel than the Eco.
I wouldn't buy the ECO no matter how much it saved.
It's gutless and my wife I both hated the ECO's seats.

Does this $9015 difference account for equipment differences? Diesels only come loaded.
 
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#47 ·
I have always been a GM fan but last year, it came time to buy a new car for my wife. We ended up getting a VW Passat TDI SEL. That is one of the best moves I have ever made. Since buying it in January 2013, it has averaged 43.9 mpg. The best it has gotten on a trip is 50.5 mpg. If GM is going to stay in the diesel game, they will have to offer it in a cheap version. I think that if I bought another diesel vehicle today, I would visit a VW dealer again.
 
#48 · (Edited)
Last month VW sold 18,692 diesels while Cruze diesel sales were 644.
While Cruze may have been voted best diesel car, its sales suggest that buyers are still luke warm to it...
Perhaps a diesel Ute like the international Captiva would capture the interest of buyers better than an efficient sedan..

Like Ford Europe, GM has a formidable array of diesel vehicles available through Opel,
maybe offering some as Buicks would be a way of easing in diesel and giving customers
a premium feel to the products and help justify the higher level pricing.
 
#49 ·
It is frustrating that many of the diesel cars/trucks are only offered on higher trim levels. It would seem they are missing out on sales. The diesel is a premium in itself, then you have pay for a trim level you might not want.

I read recently that Chrysler remedied this by offering the diesel in every trim level of the Grand Cherokee except the Laredo. It was reported like nobody buys the "cheap" Laredo anyways, so no big deal. Looking at Jeep's website, the Laredo 4x4 is $31,395, but you have to step up to a Limited at $38,395 (4x4) to have the option to buy the diesel for $4500. You are then required to purchase the luxury package with it for another $3000 for a total of $14,500 over a base Laredo. So yeah, no big deal.

Looks like GM is taking the same approach by pricing a lot of consumers out of the market. I won't be surprised if we hear at some point they dropped it because of 'low' demand. I certainly hope not, I a big fan of diesels and I want to see them become more widely available.

And if GM is at the "forefront", where is the 1/2 ton Silverado diesel?
 
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