From the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Cars.com's Kelsey Mays takes a look at the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel.
Transcript
(trunk slams) (upbeat music) Hi, I'm Kelsey maze for cars.com. Diesel cars are no longer the smoke spitting clatter boxes that you might remember them as being. In fact, they've been cleaned for quite a few years now.
The latest one is Chevrolet's popular Cruze compact, which now gets a diesel version. We are at the Chicago auto show, checking it out. It borrows a lot of bits from the Cruze's high efficiency eco version, including low rolling resistance tires and better aerodynamics, but the price tag and the fuel efficiency creates some complications. We'll show you why the Cruze diesel pairs, a two liter turbocharged diesel four cylinder with a six speed automatic transmission. Thanks to higher compression ratios with diesel. This thing has tons of torque. Torque is what pushes you back in your seat. Arguably it's what influences the everyday driving experience more than horsepower. There's 258 pounds feet of torque from this engine. That's 110 pounds feet, more torque than the most torque rich gasoline engine that the Cruze has. Still the car won't have a whole lot of high end zing because it's only got 148 horsepower. If you stand on it, Chevy says that the Cruze diesel hits 60 at about 8.6 seconds. Not exactly a drag strip time, but it matches Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which is the Cruze diesel's most direct competitor. The Chevy Cruz eco has a gasoline engine that hits 60 in about a half second less Chevy says. The issues continued Chevy says the Cruze diesel gets about 42 miles per gallon, UK highway ratings. That's what the automaker anticipates, with the diesel engine. That's only about three miles per gallon, more than a Chevy Cruze eco with the automatic. Here's another issue, underneath the cargo floor, you don't get a big space like you do in the Cruze eco that's because there's a diesel emissions tank there. It actually takes away about two cubic feet of overall cargo room. We're big fans of diesel cars, but the Cruze diesel seems like a tough proposition. 17 inch alloy wheels and leather seats are standard, but this car starts at around $26,000, including the destination charge. That's about $1,500 more than a similarly equipped Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It's about four grand, more than the gasoline Chevy Cruze eco, which gets almost as good highway mileage. Add on top of that, the fact that diesel fuel costs a lot more than regular unleaded. It's been that way since the middle of 2009. We'll have to drive the Cruze diesel to see how it holds up. But at first glance, it's nothing we're getting too excited over. (car engin revs)
