Starting at $24,670, the all-new Cruze will sport a 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine that produces roughly 136 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. We say roughly because official numbers from Chevy are still under wraps, but the engine is used under General Motors’ Opel banner in Europe and it makes the aforementioned amount of power. Either way, we expect the power plant to return upward of 40 mpg on the freeway. The motor is apparently so quiet that it has earned the nickname “whisper diesel” abroad. Buyers will also be able to choose between a nine-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual.
In October, Chevrolet confirmed that the Cruze hatchback will get the same diesel engine and transmission offerings as the sedan. Pricing info is to-be-announced for the five-door, but the fact that we’re getting a manual transmission diesel hatchback in the United States in 2017 means it’s not all bad news on the oil-burning front.
The diesel-powered Cruzes are just the latest examples of other automakers benefiting from Volkswagen’s ugly emissions scandal. VW’s TDI products dominated the compact diesel market for years, but with the German brand pulling out of the segment altogether, it leaves room for other manufacturers to swoop in and appeal to customers who like the low-end grunt and fuel economy of a diesel. Mazda recently introduced a diesel variant of the CX-5 crossover at the L.A. Auto Show, and a slew of new BMWs are on the way as well.
It’s taken some big hits recently, but clearly, diesel has some life in it yet.
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