A new challenger - Chevy Cruze Diesel

[cyclopathic]

GM already claims it is a good selling model worldwide.

I think it is funny that they compare the Cruze diesel with the VW Jetta.

Well it was designed as Jetta beater after all!

[Cobrajet]

Maybe not because at that price it will not be competitive to similarly stripped down econobox. At $25k they are competing against hybrids by offering better value and drivability and similar MPG for people with long highway commutes.

Thanks to german imports there's also a perception of diesel as luxury, so it is a good way to hide costs too. Diesel Cruze looks pretty good when compared against Audi, BMW or Jetta.

IMHO they should offer it as Buick

The thing is it WON'T be an econobox...it will be a comfortable mid-sized sedan that gets econobox fuel economy without all of the sophisticated battery packs and nonsense. Keep in mind that the Cruze isn't a particularly small car.

At about $20,000 and 45+ mpg, who needs a hybrid??

Of course, this would make the $40,000 Volt a less attractive option! If GM and other companies want to offer diesel engines, I am all for it. I'd LOVE to see a diesel Mirage, and I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

But GM needs to stop marking the price up 25-30% for the 'luxury' of an engine that runs on home heating oil if they expect to sell them in any quantity.

[cyclopathic]

The thing is it WON'T be an econobox...it will be a comfortable mid-sized sedan that gets econobox fuel economy without all of the sophisticated battery packs and nonsense. Keep in mind that the Cruze isn't a particularly small car.

At about $20,000 and 45+ mpg, who needs a hybrid??

Of course, this would make the $40,000 Volt a less attractive option! If GM and other companies want to offer diesel engines, I am all for it. I'd LOVE to see a diesel Mirage, and I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

But GM needs to stop marking the price up 25-30% for the 'luxury' of an engine that runs on home heating oil if they expect to sell them in any quantity.

Well the diesel fuel l costs more in US so the gains will be largerly cancelled and EPA rules made diesel engines cost as much as hybrids.

I am with you on small diesel we drove diesel Punto around Italy and managed 68mpg. That thing could chump alone in 6th gear at 45km/h at <700rpm. Thing is with all VW push back and stiffer rules it doesn't look like it has future.

[Canoehead]

I agree with all who suggested this Cruze likely won't touch the Mirage in terms of total cost of ownership. Still, if it beats it in combined MPG, that would be impressive. Also, as others have mentioned, it is bigger all around, likely more comfortable/luxurious, and with diesel torque, might even be capable of pulling a trailer (though likely not rated to do so in North America).

Most of my driving is on the highway, so the advantage of hybrids is largely wasted on me. I'd love an affordable small diesel car.

[M-88]

I'll take a mirage all day, every day.

You can replace the entire engine in the Mirage, for what an injector or two would cost on the Cruze. Forget about any emissions components - you can replace the entire Mirage for that. And having to deal with Urea injection.

No thanks.

[Teasmade]

The engine will probably be the new 'Whisper Diesel' that's been seeing service in Europe for a few months now. Seems to be quite a step forward over previous efforts. Not sure if it's another GM/Fiat Powertrain effort (like the 1.9/2.0CDTi units) or what. I wasn't aware it used Adblue injection.

[Canoehead]

I'll take a mirage all day, every day.

You can replace the entire engine in the Mirage, for what an injector or two would cost on the Cruze. Forget about any emissions components - you can replace the entire Mirage for that. And having to deal with Urea injection.

No thanks.

Likely very true. Here in Winnipeg, of note, our transit system had to reduce service briefly because of service issues with the busses. Apparently the new diesel emission systems are much more maintenance intensive and we didn't have the mechanical staff to keep up. On the flip side the new battery electric busses are exceeding expectations for reliability.

[M-88]

Also - timing belt on these engines

$7000 buy in
$1000 timing belt

There's $8000 that you will have to recover.

DEF will probably be $100 or so to get to 100K, just when you have to drop $1000 to have the timing belt changed.

Likely very true. Here in Winnipeg, of note, our transit system had to reduce service briefly because of service issues with the busses. Apparently the new diesel emission systems are much more maintenance intensive and we didn't have the mechanical staff to keep up. On the flip side the new battery electric busses are exceeding expectations for reliability.

Getting some of them to "regen" is problematic sometimes, and forcing them to do so with passengers would be a bad thing.

[Canoehead]

The main reason I haven't bought a diesel is that they are so much more expensive, and only the engine is better, and the engine isn't the weak link in the chain of longetivity, as I see it. What I mean is that the engine in my Ford Focus was running like a top at 200,000km, and I expect that by 400,000km, that engine might still be working, but pretty much everything else would need replacing, and the body would be completely rusted out (sand/salt is inevitable here).

A diesel that runs for half a million km or more would be nice, but if I have to gradually replace the rest of the car at shop rates of $100/hr, it doesn't make sense. Even the old Ford which was running good was replaced as I anticipated it would cost more in years 11-21 than the Mirage in years 0-10.

I still think diesels are cool . . . just not $30k for an economy car cool.

[cyclopathic]

The engine will probably be the new 'Whisper Diesel' that's been seeing service in Europe for a few months now. Seems to be quite a step forward over previous efforts. Not sure if it's another GM/Fiat Powertrain effort (like the 1.9/2.0CDTi units) or what. I wasn't aware it used Adblue injection.

Yes it is Whisper diesel according to articles. It is likely clean enough to pass euro6 without adblue but not EPA.

On a side note Cruze diesel is pitched against diesel Jetta, so it is a good opportunity to capture Jetta customers.