CEO confirms Chevy to sell diesel Cruze in U.S.

[Oracle]

CEO confirms Chevy to sell diesel Cruze in U.S. - USATODAY.com

CEO confirms Chevy to sell diesel Cruze in U.S.
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

General Motors will sell a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the U.S., GM CEO Dan Akerson says.



The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO.
Planned for introduction in 2013, it would be the first Detroit passenger-vehicle diesel since the 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD sport-utility, and the first diesel car from Detroit since the 1980s.
A U.S. diesel Cruze has been the subject of heavy speculation, but was unconfirmed until now.
"I drove it the other day. It is great," Akerson said in an interview with USA TODAY. "These new diesels are quiet. Should make it in the low- to mid-40s, and that's with an automatic," the CEO said, referring to the likely fuel economy rating with an automatic transmission.
BLOG: Can Cruze diesel make us forget GM's past disaster?
The only U.S.-market compact car with a diesel now is the Volkswagen Jetta. With an automatic transmission, it is rated 30 mpg in town, 42 on the highway.
Diesel engines get 20% to 40% better mileage than similar-size gasoline engines, alluring to automakers trying to meet tightening U.S. fuel-economy regulations. But diesel fuel in the U.S. lately has averaged 5% to 10% more than regular gas. Also, diesel engines are costlier than gas engines, and require complex emissions gear, boosting the price of diesel vehicles.
GM's gasoline-engine Chevy Cruze Eco with automatic is rated 39 mpg on the highway, so a diesel would have to deliver significantly better than that to justify a higher-price car burning more expensive fuel.
"Generally, I think it's a good thing, but maybe way ahead of what the market's ready for," says Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. Not only is diesel fuel more expensive, it's not sold by every service station, he notes. "And a lot of people still have the misconception that diesel is smelly, loud, sooty — what city buses were 20 years ago."
Nevertheless, Nerad says, a diesel Cruze is smart marketing: "The fuel economy number they can point to probably is a good one."
GM wouldn't hint at pricing or give other details about the diesel Cruze because it is more than a year off. A Jetta diesel with automatic is $24,865.
Diesel backers believe a diesel in a popular, mainstream car such as Cruze finally could be a breakthrough in the historically diesel-averse U.S., convincing other automakers to modify their overseas diesels to meet U.S. regulations and offer the diesels here, too.
GM is at least considering packaging the diesel in a hatchback version of Cruze sold overseas.
Akerson offered some other hints of GM's powertrain future, citing electric vehicles and those fueled by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG): "We're going to introduce battery-only vehicles…CNG vehicles. Stay tuned. This is not the old GM."
Nissan's Leaf is the only mainstream battery car sold in the U.S. GM's Chevy Volt is an extended-range electric that goes about 35 miles on batteries, then switches on a gasoline engine to generate more electricity for the batteries so Volt can keep running when a plug-in recharge isn't available.
Diesels are common in much of the world because many countries heavily tax fuel to encourage sales of fuel-efficient vehicles such as diesels. Gasoline prices in major European countries this month, for example, have averaged around $8 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Diesel runs from slightly more to 15% less.
Cruze was the best-selling car in the country last month. Japanese companies normally dominate the top-seller list, but were short of cars because of interruptions in parts flow after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
For the first six months of this year, Cruze is the seventh-best-selling car.

...

[speeder]

That's cool but what we really need is good TDI 1/2-ton PU trucks, ie. F-150/Ram 1500/Silverado 1500. That is where really significant MPG gains could be had, not to mention awesome trucks.

[Scott R]

I hope they're buying it from another company and reselling it. GM diesels are terrible, amazingly terrible. The caddys I used to work on from the 80's were a horror.

[ben parrish]

Differnt animal entirely...the 80's GM diesels were converted gas engines. I actually had two..Blazer and Suburban...got GREAT service out of both of them.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Scott R

I hope they're buying it from another company and reselling it. GM diesels are terrible, amazingly terrible. The caddys I used to work on from the 80's were a horror.

You're about 30 years behind the times. Diesel engine technology has changed a lot in the last decade, not to mention since the 1970s, when the motors you refer to were designed. And even for the times, those were not good engines.

Every auto company in the world has the capacity to make good engines now, unfortunately the design parameters combined with cost concerns sometimes result in serious engineering flaws. (In gas engines as well).

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by speeder

You're about 30 years behind the times. Diesel engine technology has changed a lot in the last decade, not to mention since the 1970s, when the motors you refer to were designed. And even for the times, those were not good engines.

Every auto company in the world has the capacity to make good engines now, unfortunately the design parameters combined with cost concerns sometimes result in serious engineering flaws. (In gas engines as well).

GM could screw up a rubber-band airplane.

[TimT]

Ford has that Ecoboost twin turbo V6 for the F150.... substantial towing capacity, and good mileage..

Rode shotgun with a friend to a DE at Lime Rock yesterday, he has a F150 Crew Cab Ecoboost short bed, and was towing a 24' haulmark which was loaded, Moduline cabinets, two set spare wheels tires, a 993 twin turbo race car, bunch of fuel jugs... and assorted other crap...

Got 13 MPG on the tow from NYC to Lime Rock..

Not sure how much more economical a small diesel would be in place of that engine...

FWIW he told me he gets 23-25MPG unloaded highway..

Really nice truck..

Isuzu makes the diesel engines for the full sized GM pick ups, am sure that Isuzu has a small diesel that would be a fit for the Cruze

[kaisen]

Predictable responses here. GM partnered with Isuzu to details slop the Duramax over a decade ago. The Duramax is now 100% GM. So that's a diesel we know well in the states. But overseas, GM offers tons of diesels that they make themselves. So do lots of other manufacturers, including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, and many others. GM has a proven line of direct-inject turbodiesels that will /can serve duty as long as they can meet US emissions. The motor that they're proposing for the Cruze has been around Europe for awhile.

[dewolf]

Been on sale here for around two years.

Holden Cruze CD Diesel - www.drive.com.au

[TimT]

Predictable responses here.

If you say so...

GM partnered with Isuzu to details slop the Duramax over a decade ago.

I have no idea what that sentence is supposed to mean..

[EarlyPorsche]

Sounds like a good car and infinity times better than a Prius.

[peppy]

From what I can find on the net (Wiki) the engine is made by GM Korea (Daewoo).

I had a Chevette with an Isuzu power train that was excellent.

Chevrolet Cruze - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jyl]

This is a good thing. I realize some love to hate GM for their countless past sins (I'm a bit that way myself) but you've got to like seeing an American OEM moving forward. Hybrid Volt, diesel Cruze - this is way better than spitting out a suede-paneled Hummer or whatever the former GM would have done.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by jyl

This is a good thing. I realize some love to hate GM for their countless past sins (I'm a bit that way myself) but you've got to like seeing an American OEM moving forward. Hybrid Volt, diesel Cruze - this is way better than spitting out a suede-paneled Hummer or whatever the former GM would have done.

Peopled liked Hummers, and Tahoes and Surburbans. will they buy one of these? who knows, I know I wouldn't.

[jyl]

The gas Cruze is selling very well, I guess we'll see about the diesel. Even the VW TDIs don't sell many units so it seems like still an uphill slog for diesels in the US.

[Macroni]

I have put 50,000 miles on my VW TDI w/ automatic in the last two years; the car and more importantly the motor has operated flawlessly. I have averaged 37 miles per gallon on mixed use. I hammer this car w my last concern being achieving better mileage. I do not understand the resistance to diesel in the US as they are the only real car used in Europe. I am especially confused when it comes to SUVs. What could be a more straight forward application? It is also interesting that diesel fuel is cheaper than gas in Europe. Problem in the US is the offerings are so sparse. I would love to have an opportunity to purchase an Alfa turbo diesel.......

[ZOO]

Originally Posted by Macroni

I have put 50,000 miles on my VW TDI w/ automatic in the last two years; the car and more importantly the motor has operated flawlessly. I have averaged 37 miles per gallon on mixed use. I hammer this car w my last concern being achieving better mileage. I do not understand the resistance to diesel in the US as they are the only real car used in Europe. I am especially confused when it comes to SUVs. What could be a more straight forward application? It is also interesting that diesel fuel is cheaper than gas in Europe. Problem in the US is the offerings are so sparse. I would love to have an opportunity to purchase an Alfa turbo diesel.......

I wish we could get diesel, manual transmission BMWs in NA -- that would be my next daily driver. A diesel, manual, minivan would also be really useful

[jyl]

Diesel is cheaper than gasoline in Europe due to taxes, which favor diesel.

[Macroni]

Originally Posted by ZOOMiata

I wish we could get diesel, manual transmission BMWs in NA -- that would be my next daily driver. A diesel, manual, minivan would also be really useful

This is standard fare; I saw some very cool diesel Toyota and Subaru vans on the Island of Capri....

Originally Posted by jyl

Diesel is cheaper than gasoline in Europe due to taxes, which favor diesel.

I was also under the impression it is cheaper to process diesel into a final product. The taxes certainly favor lower displacement motors.......

[ben parrish]

I decided agains a diesel on the Jetta I purchased two years ago because of the increased cost up front....when I did the math, I believe I would need to clock over 190k to see the payback. This is based on Diesel costing more than gas.
I will buy another diesel when they quit charging so much more for the car compared to gas.