AP Sources: GM to sell diesel Chevy Cruze in US

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GM_DIESEL_CRUZE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-11-13-32-16

DETROIT (AP) -- Two people briefed on the matter say General Motors has decided to sell a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze car in the United States.

They say the car would get about 50 miles per gallon on the highway and help GM meet stricter government fuel economy standards.

One of the people says the diesel version is at least two years away from hitting U.S. showrooms. Neither person wanted to be identified because the company has not made an official announcement.

GM already sells a diesel version of the Cruze in Australia and is reworking the engine to meet U.S. emissions standards.

[Atman]

1. A car I would consider buying.

We got a Cruze as a rental on our last trip, and I was amazed at how nice and solid the car was. Performed great, got good mileage, fit and finish were beautiful. Nicer than any Toyota I've been in. I can't speak for the performance of the diesel, obviously, but if it gets 50mpg and is of the same quality as the car we rented, I'd buy one.

.

[itsrobert]

2. Don't Diesel engines last longer?

Or am I wrong?

[PoliticAverse]

5. Not if it's the 1970's and they're made by GM... n/t

[tammywammy]

22. Yes they do.

The engines take a lot longer to "break in" and last a lot longer than a gas counterpoint. Lots of benefits to a diesel engine.

[KamaAina]

3. Biodiesel is the way to go

Our local transit agency already buys some. Last I heard they were paying about a 60-cent premium per gallon over fossil diesel. Expect this to drop as more biodiesel is produced, and the price of fossil continues to yo-yo.

[RandySF]

14. It's still as dirty.

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. How do you figure?

It's way cleaner than petroleum diesel.

[tammywammy]

24. No it's not.

Diesel engines are very clean, it's not the same engine from the 70s. You should really do some research into the clean-diesel technology currently offered.

[EOTE]

32. Not at all.

Not only is diesel getting ever closer to around the same emissions per gallon of fuel burned as standard petroleum, but considering that so much less diesel is consumed per mile driven, overall, they're far cleaner than their gas burning counterparts.

[Drahthaardogs]

34. Diesel is much cleaner than gasoline

Diesel has carbons in the C12-C24 range (or thereabout depending on who makes it), Gasline is C6 -C11. Most of the "dirty" you see is just water vapor from incomplete combustion. Diesel also has much lower concentrations of BTEX, which is the light volatile fraction of petroleum products that is very mobile, and carcinogenic. Look at most state regulatory levels for gasoline vs. diesel at spill sites. Average for gasoline range organics is about 350 ppm. Diesel is usually around 500 ppm.

[RandySF]

4. Sounds just like GM

Full speed backwards to the future.

[DainBramaged]

10. Does Toyota, Honda or Nissan offer diesels in America?

Nice try at a swipe.

[RandySF]

13. Whoever does, it's still backwards.

[DainBramaged]

16. So you endorse nuclear power for cars?

[Motown_Johnny]

31. Internal combustion engine invented in 1850, the Diesel 1895

so this is a move forward if it is moving away from internal combustion engines

[EOTE]

33. Ahhh yes, offering a 50mpg car that doesn't require massive amounts of batteries is going backwards.

You do know that the environmental impact of modern diesels is a good deal less than most hybrids right? No, I'm guessing you have no clue.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. If I had a penny for every time the automakers teased us with a diesel engine...

I hope they actually do come out with this diesel Cruze.
The rest of the world drives vehicles that get 50+ mpg and we should be able to do the same here.

But unfortunately these reports usually get followed up by an article like "GM scraps plans for diesel cruze".

[BOG PERSON]

7. finally

i've always wondered why they didn't make american sedans that run on diesel.

[DainBramaged]

8. Demand is minuscule, fuel is hard to find, people don't understand diesels, shall I go on?

:shrug:

Even VW is having trouble selling inventory


http://thinkblue.vw.com/

[PoliticAverse]

11. It doesn't help that Diesel is not longer cheaper than gas like it used to be. n/t

[EOTE]

35. It's a good deal cheaper due to the fact that you need to burn so much less of it. NT

[BOG PERSON]

12. according to a little thing called Say's Law, supply creates its own demand?

so all they need to do is build more diesel sedans, and consumers will come. easy peasy!

[DainBramaged]

15. There's a 90 day supply of trucks in GM's inventory, where are the customers?

Unless the orders from DEALERS are there, they aren't building more. The DEALER is the gatekeeper, and if their customers aren't showing interest or they can't convince customers to buy one, so much for production. Where I live, ONE station with diesel within 12 miles on my commute to work on the ONLY highway that isn't an interstate, ONE.


What's wrong with that picture.

[Kolesar]

17. Diesels could not even be sold in big metropolitan areas because of their pollution emissions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_particulate_filter

[tammywammy]

21. Well, I live in DFW and I used to own a 2006 VW diesel.

The latest generation of diesel engines, the one produced by VW and I would assume GM, are very clean emissions. It's not the diesel engine from the 70s.

edited to add: The current TDI engines offered by VW even meet California's emission standards. :shrug:

[Kolesar]

28. The "high compression ratios" mean high nitrous emissions from diesels

Nitrous emissions are a component of smog.

The introduction of low sulphur fuel in the last decade enables automakers to deal with the soot/particulate emissions from diesel automobiles. Diesels have become cleaner.

Clean Diesel Program:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/index.htm

Thank you for your interest.

[taught_me_patience]

9. Great, more belching filth from tail pipes smogging up the air n/t

[tammywammy]

18. Actually the latest TDI engine offered by VW is very clean.

You should read into it. I would assume since EPA restrictions are so tough on diesel vehicles that a GM diesel would be equally as clean. The newest generation of diesels meet even California's restrictions.

[DainBramaged]

25. iT IS ALSO very QUIET!

[tammywammy]

27. There was a slight "knock knock knock" sound, but if you had your radio on you'd never hear it.

Plus, I love that sound anyway.

[Motown_Johnny]

29. get out of the 70s, this is not your father's diesel engine

[felix_numinous]

19. Diesel engines can run on biodiesel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDGPw0uGaag --about pacific biodiesel supported by Willie Nelson.

[tammywammy]

20. Excellent news!

I would definitely look at a Cruze diesel. My last vehicle was a VW Beetle TDI. A diesel is much more fun to drive, and I was getting 42 mpg. Emissions on the latest generation of diesels are amazingly low. You can hold a white towel to the exhaust and really press down on the gas pedal, and yet when you take the towel away it's still white and doesn't smell like "exhaust". I would assume this diesel engine would be the very similar if not the same.

Plus with a diesel engine you're all set to run bio-diesel - a great environmental decision.

After I pay off my current vehicle (which is a couple/three years off), I was going to go head to another diesel Beetle, but if GM is offering the Cruze diesel then that's definitely something to look at.

[EOTE]

36. I was thinking of a Jetta TDI as my next ride.

The 230+ lb/ft of torque is extremely appealing to me. Along with a 6 speed and 45mpg, it's a combination I find hard to resist. However, if the Cruze diesel can offer similar fuel economy (it looks like it will and then some) in a fun-to-drive package, GM will once again have my money.

[Initech]

26. Sweet, I'm a supporter of clean diesel. Anything to get better mpg!

[Motown_Johnny]

30. Now what we need is a diesel version of the Volt and we will be on the right track

finally


Well, that and switching all that freaking corn based ethanol production to bio-diesel.

[Lance_Boyle]

37. Someone at GM has heard my lament!

Now if Ford will follow suit and bring some of its diesel fleet to the US market I'll be ecstatic. For far too long now the only game in town has been VW. Don't get me wrong - I love my little diesel Jetta - but options are a great thing. I'll be in the market for a replacement in another 200K miles or so, and American-made options would be fantastic.