GM Considers diesel engine for Chevy Cruze

[iGav]

It certainly could be significantly higher. Public taste, laziness on the part of manufacturers and other things have all conspired to keep the bar set low on fuel economy.

I think that's probably accurate, general apathy on all sides really isn't it.

By way of a postscript, it's worth pointing out that today's safety and environmental regulations make it more difficult to make a car frugal, small and light than it was when Alec Issigonis designed the Mini.

Indeed, I think you've also inadvertently described the perfect engineering challenge that todays manufacturers really should be embracing, but instead seem so reticent to take up. The most remarkable thing about the original Mini, wasn't its size, it wasn't its cost… it was the whole. And in that respect alone, I cannot think of one car today that is really in anyway comparable whatsoever.

True, and that's a shame, because brand image often matters than a car's actual merits. If the new Jetta is a turd, people will still buy it because the VW badge has cachet here that GM does not, at least in the realm of small cars.

It's entirely possible to turn a brand around of course, as VW demonstrated with Škoda, it's only 15 years ago that Škoda was still the punchline to almost every joke.

The problem is Chevrolet is in a somewhat unique position in many respects here, it's a known brand, but by name only, usually as the carrier of good ol' boys... to a levy of course, when I think of a Chevy it's either something bright pink, with chrome… lots of chrome, or a pickup truck, not the rebadging of dreadful Daewoo cars. I suspect I'm not alone on that one.

And therein lies the problem. That and the Spark of course.

I'm not going to stand up too much for GM, I've never held a high opinion of most of their products, but I have reasonably read good reviews of the Cruze and I hope they bring the diesel here.

The Cruze is entirely inoffensive, and does the job entirely adequately by all accounts, as it should, after all it does have 4 wheels and an engine. Autocar likened it to the old Mk2 Seat Toledo saloon, and that's probably an apt comparison. Vanilla. Much like the rest of Vauxhall/Opel/Holden/Buick ranges etc actually. And that is a big problem for GM. A very big problem. One that almost sank the ship in the first place in fact. The captain might be different, but there's still no one at the helm.

the Daewoo -> Chevrolet re-branding in europe has been more or less the best business move GM has made perhaps in the last decade

Doesn't say much really does it.

I think you highlight the real issue in the rest of your post. But it doesn't just affect Opel. And that is perhaps GM's biggest problem of all.

which is in a contrast to the japanese/korean brands which in europe over the last few years streamlined a lot: nearly all brands stopped offering premium sedans or upper market offerings and rather concentrated on SUVs/ crossovers and small offroaders and small minivans, compacts or small hatchbacks

It's not really streamlining when you have something like 6 suv/off-roaders in your range a'la Nissan is it?

GM is doing reasonably well in Asia, and they have placed much of their small-car design duties into the capable hands of the Koreans - a wise move in my opinion.

Not if the Spark is anything to go by. Fortunately as the i10 proves, being Korean isn't the problem.

I think blame can be put on both sides.

Yeah, but mainly GM for getting themselves into such a god almighty mess in the first place.

The Buick Regal is the Opel Insignia( I love the US media. Before the Regal came out in the US, they went over to Europe and drove it and they loved it. Then they drive it on US shores, and all of a sudden they start panning it? ).

That'll be the marshmallows they use to replace the springs to make it a little softer for the yanks.

it wasn't a bad car.

It wasn't. You really don't want to think what today's hatches would be like if that car never existed. It really was that good. And its impact really was that great.

In typical bad Ford fashion

In typical Ford U.S. fashion you mean, fortunately, the profit making arm of Ford, i.e. the european division, produced the even better Mk2.

 

[quagmire]

That'll be the marshmallows they use to replace the springs to make it a little softer for the yanks.

While I haven't driven the Insignia over in Europe, the Regal drives solid and is very stable. So I don't think they did any modifications to the suspension.

A SPEED TV show went over to Europe to drive a US Spec Buick Regal and drove it on the autobahn and nurburgring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8PHIbe3lsw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwEVzDZ5NYY&feature=related

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Indeed, I think you've also inadvertently described the perfect engineering challenge that todays manufacturers really should be embracing, but instead seem so reticent to take up. The most remarkable thing about the original Mini, wasn't its size, it wasn't its cost… it was the whole. And in that respect alone, I cannot think of one car today that is really in anyway comparable whatsoever.

I agree. If you look at "small" cars these days, they really aren't that small. Of course, what made the Mini special was packaging, and I don't think we've seen a revolutionary new "package" since the Mini.

The problem is Chevrolet is in a somewhat unique position in many respects here, it's a known brand, but by name only, usually as the carrier of good ol' boys... to a levy of course, when I think of a Chevy it's either something bright pink, with chrome… lots of chrome, or a pickup truck, not the rebadging of dreadful Daewoo cars. I suspect I'm not alone on that one.

And therein lies the problem. That and the Spark of course.

Chevy definitely has a lot of work to do to establish a brand presence in Europe - especially since Opel already covers so much territory with its lineup. Apart from niche vehicles like the Corvette, there isn't much of "American" Chevy that can make the transition to Europe. And in the long run, Chevy can't rely on rebadged Korean cars.

The Cruze is entirely inoffensive, and does the job entirely adequately by all accounts, as it should, after all it does have 4 wheels and an engine. Autocar likened it to the old Mk2 Seat Toledo saloon, and that's probably an apt comparison. Vanilla. Much like the rest of Vauxhall/Opel/Holden/Buick ranges etc actually. And that is a big problem for GM. A very big problem. One that almost sank the ship in the first place in fact. The captain might be different, but there's still no one at the helm.

Damning with faint praise! In the context of this thread I am happy to see a Cruze diesel come to the US, and I think the Cruze will be an improvement over previous GM small cars, but I don't expect the Cruze to be anything other than a cheap-n-cheerful small car - solid but unexceptional. It is true that their biggest problem is coming up with a reason to buy it over other similarly anonymous cars.

In typical Ford U.S. fashion you mean, fortunately, the profit making arm of Ford, i.e. the european division, produced the even better Mk2.

And we never got to see it here.

While I haven't driven the Insignia over in Europe, the Regal drives solid and is very stable. So I don't think they did any modifications to the suspension.

A SPEED TV show went over to Europe to drive a US Spec Buick Regal and drove it on the autobahn and nurburgring.

I haven't had any experience with the new Regal, but on paper it certainly looks like a substantial improvement over the previous iterations.

 

[bit density]

Why not Diesel...

Because there is not enough of it, and it will increase our need of foreign oil not lessen it.

There is twice as much gasoline refined from a barrel of sweet crude than diesel.

Diesel has the advantage of longer carbon chains which represents more power per volume than gasoline. On a joule level gas engines are on par.

But because of the greater energy difference, this is important for use in commercial engines that are meant to tow or carry tremendous amounts of weight, like trucks and ships. But especially trucks. This allows engines to be significantly smaller for the weight that they have to carry than diesel.

For a long time, and in many places people that drove diesel vehicles did so because of the tax advantages. The taxes were kept lower in order to make commercial usage cheaper.

It is not greener to go diesel. It takes that resource from other parts of the economy and puts it into cars. Cars do just fine with gasoline. They are relatively clean and there is twice as much of the stuff in a gallon of oil. They don't get better mileage except in volume of stuff. Which is not the correct measurement. If cars became more diesel, then diesel would become dramatically more expensive, affecting the overall livelihood of everyone, dramatically increase the cost of oil and bring about energy devastation much faster than anyone could imagine.

By moving to hybrids and electrics, we actually decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and make our cars greener per mile driven. This is why it is the answer and diesel isn't.

 

[takao]

It's entirely possible to turn a brand around of course, as VW demonstrated with Škoda, it's only 15 years ago that Škoda was still the punchline to almost every joke.

if any car company has shown to have any knowledge about badge engineering/branding it's VW AG
skoda is the obvious recent example of the last 15 years
but compare it to what they did to Audi since 1980 ?
the best way to describe pre 80ties audi ? the famous morris marina quote from Top Gear:
"I'll guarantee that nothing exciting, vibrant, dynamic, new, creative, hopeful or beneficial in any way to humanity has ever been done, thought of or driven to in that drab, dreary, entirely beige, wilfully awful pile of misery."

believe it or not back in the 70ties Opel actually had a trendy, sporty and young reputation/image not unlike Audi has today

in fact i have some old magazines around from the early 70ties and its hilarious to read if you compare the raving reviews Opel got in the past with todays "not as bad as other cars but still cheaper than a VW" reviews

Doesn't say much really does it.

I think you highlight the real issue in the rest of your post. But it doesn't just affect Opel. And that is perhaps GM's biggest problem of all.

it's not exactly GM alone:
yes VW are really bland looking too, but opposed to many GM vehicles if you take the badge away you would be still able recognize that the vehicle is a VW ... with some of the new Opels i'm not so sure (Chevrolet at least got that hideous split grill),
Ford actually isn't any better. their latest fiesta very much looks like a 8 year old peugeot from the front. hardly surprising their sales havent quite lived up to the last models sales afaik

It's not really streamlining when you have something like 6 suv/off-roaders in your range a'la Nissan is it?

true but looking at nissan i would say they are streamlining themselves out of the european market
yes they are selling the GT-R in europe and launching their own luxury brand Infiniti... for what ? to follow the "success story of 20 years Lexus europe"
so they will be selling luxury cars , fake offroaders, a single halo car without any interesting cheaper car to buy ? seriously the new micra is bringing the bland back to the brand .. at least the old micra was a hit with young women
i really like nissan and some of their last decade stuff but i feel they are going back to their 90ties role in europe. and remembering my grandfathers old nissan ... please don't go there
(it could be worse: like mitsubishi dropping the EVO)

Not if the Spark is anything to go by. Fortunately as the i10 proves, being Korean isn't the problem.

at least hyundai finally realised that those names they were putting on their models weren't the brightest idea in 95% of all cases

regarding testing/timing the cars on the Nürburgring: knowing that Audi, BMW and Mercedes have an gentlements agreement not to publish their timed laps i think it's quite a hollow victory for some brands to publish theirs

the argument for that silent agreement ? they don't want "a horsepower arms race"... look how well that has turned out

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Because there is not enough of it, and it will increase our need of foreign oil not lessen it.

There is twice as much gasoline refined from a barrel of sweet crude than diesel.

Can you quote a source on that? As far as I'm aware, that is not necessarily true. It all depends on what is in highest demand. Diesel can be refined into gasoline, and gasoline is what people in the US want at the moment. I will try to find some more citeable links than this, but my impression is that a single barrel of crude always potentially contains more diesel fuel than gasoline. This is a very market-driven process. Refineries make what people want to buy.

It's also worth pointing out that a lot of gasoline has ethanol and other compounds in it that diesel does not have, and that stuff had to be refined before being added - increasing the engery cost of refining gasoline. Regular unleaded gasoline also has more sulphur in it than the now mandatory-for-passenger-cars ULSD fuel.

For a long time, and in many places people that drove diesel vehicles did so because of the tax advantages. The taxes were kept lower in order to make commercial usage cheaper.

Diesel may be cheaper in Europe due to tax structures, but the same could be said about gasoline here. It doesn't have to be that way in either case. On a purely technical level, gasoline should actually cost more because it takes more energy to refine.

It is not greener to go diesel. It takes that resource from other parts of the economy and puts it into cars. Cars do just fine with gasoline. They are relatively clean and there is twice as much of the stuff in a gallon of oil. They don't get better mileage except in volume of stuff. Which is not the correct measurement. If cars became more diesel, then diesel would become dramatically more expensive, affecting the overall livelihood of everyone, dramatically increase the cost of oil and bring about energy devastation much faster than anyone could imagine.

Diesel takes less energy to refine, contains more energy per unit of volume, emits less CO2, you get potentially more of it out of a barrel of crude and diesel engines are always more fuel efficient than equivalent gasoline engines. Where's the problem?

I can't see how you are going to argue that it is necessary for us to drive gasoline-engined cars in order to prevent "energy devastation". Most other countries already use a much larger proportion of diesel and they seem just fine. We could make a lot more diesel with the crude we are currently extracting, and the market for gasoline will never go away.

By moving to hybrids and electrics, we actually decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and make our cars greener per mile driven. This is why it is the answer and diesel isn't.

I am not advocating that we all switch to diesel. Nor do I want to get rid of the gasoline engine (especially in performance cars!). But the USA has an unecessary obsession with the gasoline-engined car. We need diesel serial hybrids for starters, and more hybrids and diesel-engined cars of all types. There is no one solution. If tens of thousands of people in the US started buying diesel Cruzes, it would not destroy the world's energy infrastructure.

But come on - "energy devastation"?

the argument for that silent agreement ? they don't want "a horsepower arms race"... look how well that has turned out

Indeed. Same with the Japanese and their 280hp/180 km/h limit. Some of the cars made under this "agreement" were considerably faster/more powerful than was officially admitted, and anyway they did away with that a number of years ago.

 

[iGav]

So I don't think they did any modifications to the suspension.

I'd hazard a guess that they probably did… just because of the difference in preference in ride quality, European cars are naturally exceedingly firm… the same cars with sports suspension, excruciatingly so.

The Insignia's not a bad car by any means, the OPC/VXR concept looked particularly mean, especially in wagon form, but the rear of the hatchback looks a little odd to me, fussily unresolved with so many bad lines… but that is probably to be expected given it's World Car origins. It's wheelbase looks far too short as well.

I agree. If you look at "small" cars these days, they really aren't that small. Of course, what made the Mini special was packaging, and I don't think we've seen a revolutionary new "package" since the Mini.

I'd suggest that the A2 was the last truly innovative car with regards to packaging, spaceframe, double-floor (like the A Class, but much better implemented) etc.

Something like the Smart is too compromised in achieving it's small footprint, and the IQ is as conventional as they come. As are cars like the Ka/500, i10 etc.

I think VW was on to something with their up! concept, (rear engined, 2 or 3 cylinder engine (I forget which), and a minimalist cabin) but then they decided the layout was too difficult to make work (read as too expensive, can't be bothered) and it's becoming a conventional FE/FWD hatch… when they could have launched the new people's car for the 21st century, with an innovative drivetrain and modular interior functionality, based on something like an iPad type device (which is what VW's new Hackney Cab concept looks to be implementing).

Chevy definitely has a lot of work to do to establish a brand presence in Europe - especially since Opel already covers so much territory with its lineup. Apart from niche vehicles like the Corvette, there isn't much of "American" Chevy that can make the transition to Europe. And in the long run,

I can't help but think GM would've been better repositioning Opel. They're making unnecessary (not to mention needlessly expensive) work for themselves with Chevy. It's a bit icy out isn't it? Is that the captain at the bar?

Chevy can't rely on rebadged Korean cars.

They can't… especially when rival Korean cars are very, very good indeed, if still a little dull.

Damning with faint praise!

What can I say… it's ingrained.

In the context of this thread I am happy to see a Cruze diesel come to the US, and I think the Cruze will be an improvement over previous GM small cars,

It's considered more mid-size here if anything. In Holden form, right up until the C-Pillar it's a fine design, but like a lot of cars today, it's got bum trouble.

It is true that their biggest problem is coming up with a reason to buy it over other similarly anonymous cars.

I think that would be my issue, if I were thinking of dropping the £$€… on a new car, I'd be thinking to myself, is a new car so important to me as to stomach the depreciation that drops like an atom-bomb, or do I buy myself a new Golf?

And we never got to see it here.

And is it any wonder that Ford U.S. almost went the way of the muff?

if any car company has shown to have any knowledge about badge engineering/branding it's VW AG

Indeed, this alone would be a thread in itself wouldn't it.

believe it or not back in the 70ties Opel actually had a trendy, sporty and young reputation image

That'll be the Manta.

Vauxhall have never really had that image. It's no coincidence that in Cockney Rhyming Slang, that Vauxhall rhymes with Dull.

it's not exactly GM alone:
yes VW are really bland looking too, but opposed to many GM vehicles if you take the badge away you would be still able recognize that the vehicle is a VW ...

And you highlight exactly where many/most car manufacturers go wrong when it comes to developing a World Car and why they're seldom truly successful. BMW & Mercedes have been producing World Cars for decades haven't they, some would say successfully so. Why? Because they're completely & unapologetically Germanic.

seriously the new micra is bringing the bland back to the brand ..

True that… it looks older than the car it replaced.

at least hyundai finally realised that those names they were putting on their models weren't the brightest idea in 95% of all cases

The i10 has gotten rave reviews over here, frequently voted best city-urban-girls car or something… I heard that when a man drives one, his balls shrink and he assumes a pre-pubescent state.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Interesting thoughts iGav. The sum total of your criticisms seems to me to indicate that automakers are much more conventional these days (at least when it comes to packaging), making innovation much more difficult. Part of this situation is undoubtedly due to the fact that there are a lot more laws governing the design of cars these days. In the days of the mini, (or DS, or the Traction Avant, or even further back the Model T) there was perhaps less conventional wisdom than there is now - resulting in a proliferation of vastly different designs in terms of overal packaging. Apparently it's up to the Indians to get creative with their Tata Nano.

These days, only the FF layout is considered suitable for an economy car. Everything else is rocking the boat. Perhaps, as with Horatio Nelson's tactics, an innovation eventually becomes hidebound tradition and stifles subesquent development?

As for the Korean flavor of the new Chevy, it may be dull by European standards but we love Hondas over here so tastes are different. Also, anyone who has ever driven a US-market Chevy Cavalier looks in wonder at the level of quality that the Korean cars bring to the party. The Koreans not only sneaked up on the Big Three, they also sneaked up on the Japanese and even some of the Europeans.

And that still makes me wonder what the hell Ford was doing by not building and selling their much better Euro-Fords here in the states. They completely missed the boat on that one - and are arguably still doing so by limiting our engine choices on the Focus and Fiesta and thus reducing the overall economy of the vehicle lineup.

 

[garybUK]

Interesting thoughts iGav. Apparently it's up to the Indians to get creative with their Tata Nano.

Tata have Jaguar and Landrover now as well!

The Koreans not only sneaked up on the Big Three, they also sneaked up on the Japanese and even some of the Europeans.

Not really, they stole and are still considered bad cars. Look at the Kia's etc, throughout the brand you can instantly see other (mainly German) cars they've stolen the design from.

And that still makes me wonder what the hell Ford was doing by not building and selling their much better Euro-Fords here in the states. They completely missed the boat on that one - and are arguably still doing so by limiting our engine choices on the Focus and Fiesta and thus reducing the overall economy of the vehicle lineup.

Ford will kill the focus in Europe too, they are going to a 'World Platform' which means no more hatchback version... which means death in Europe. Also their quality is going rapidly down hill, what's with all the cheap nasty plastic looking centre console's in the cars? Very Japan-eesy.

Also Honda are going down the Pan.... so many of their dealerships have closed and they have airfields full of Accords, also no Type R instantly kills off the 'boy racer' market, Honda's are left to old people once again.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Not really, they stole and are still considered bad cars. Look at the Kia's etc, throughout the brand you can instantly see other (mainly German) cars they've stolen the design from.

They might not be known for their originality, but their engineering is solid, and continues to improve.

 

[Graeme43]

Not really, they stole and are still considered bad cars. Look at the Kia's etc, throughout the brand you can instantly see other (mainly German) cars they've stolen the design from.
.

Talking about stolen design.... Hyundai i30... BMW 1 series... look familiar? I swear they have the exact same back panel! BMW had the look first then all of a sudden hyundai made a car that looks like a 1 series from a distance until u get to see the badge

 

[Lord Blackadder]

EDIT: I forgot to post this earlier: a GM spokesman has denied that the North American Cruze diesel has gotten the green light for production. He seems to imply that GM is waiting to gauge reactions to the existing Cruze lineup before making a decision on a diesel option. So, no new information really. It's obviously a product under consideration, but it seems unlikely we'd see it in showrooms till late next year at the earliest.

Talking about stolen design.... Hyundai i30... BMW 1 series... look familiar? I swear they have the exact same back panel! BMW had the look first then all of a sudden hyundai made a car that looks like a 1 series from a distance until u get to see the badge

There is a certain similarity, but I chalk that up mostly to the family resemblance between almost all 5-door hatchbacks, especially in the rear end. Besides, the i30 is a FF economy car while the 1 Series is a FR luxury sport hatch, and many other car manufacturers have been aping BMW's style for decades.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Does not aerodynamics dictate form, to a large extent?

 

[quagmire]

EDIT: I forgot to post this earlier: a GM spokesman has denied that the North American Cruze diesel has gotten the green light for production. He seems to imply that GM is waiting to gauge reactions to the existing Cruze lineup before making a decision on a diesel option. So, no new information really. It's obviously a product under consideration, but it seems unlikely we'd see it in showrooms till late next year at the earliest.

Do you think GM would confirm an internet report of a diesel Cruze coming? Unless it comes from themselves, they won't confirm anything.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Do you think GM would confirm an internet report of a diesel Cruze coming? Unless it comes from themselves, they won't confirm anything.

True. So far it's mostly rumor - the only thing we can be reasonably sure about is that GM is considering the idea of bringing the diesel here. Whether it will actually happen is still anybody's guess.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Resurrection: Rumor Confirmed

The CEO of GM has confirmed in an interview that the Chevy Cruze Diesel will be heading Stateside in 2013:

"I drove it the other day. It is great," [GM CEO] 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."

No word yet on price. With the Jetta TDI automatic costing almost $25k, GM will certainly be selling the cheapest diesel passenger car in the US when the diesel Cruze shows up - but how much cheaper? Apparently they are considering bringing the diesel over in hatchback form as well.

Despite the increased desire for economical cars, diesels have yet to catch on here, for the reasons we've already discussed above. It remains to be seen whether the Cruze will simply slip into the smallish diesel niche occupied by Volkswagen (and to a lesser extent Mercedes, BMW and Audi), or if the Cruze is the beginning of a trend.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

I'm still drooling over that Golf GTD... If I can't get one here by the time my current TDI ceases to be - then I will have to move to a country that already has them for sale.

Yeah, that sounds logical.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I doubt the GTD will make it here any time soon, if ever. IF it ever does come stateside it will be the default choice for me when it comes time to replace my current car. A brave (fanatical?) American gear-head could probably create his/her own near-copy of a GTD by dropping an ECU-tweaked TDI drivetrain into a GTI, but that would be a prohibitively expensive project.

Also, with Subaru's unveiling of its 2.0L/CVT economy drivetrain, one wonders if their project to bring Subaru's newish diesel to the US has been shelved indefinitely. I've heard no news on this for well over a year.

 

[iGav]

but that would be a prohibitively expensive project..

Not to mention trying to sort the resultant NVH issues etc.

I'd still like to see VW release a Polo GTD (really VW should've got rid of the current Golf, and simply renamed the new Polo a Golf), or perhaps even a Jetta GTD, I'm quite take with it's sober, germanic lines. It'll age well. Clean, unfussy design always does.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Not to mention trying to sort the resultant NVH issues etc.

It would always be a "project" car. Though a skilled tuning house could probably create a car that was very close to a "real" GTD. Sigh.

I agree that the GTD will age well. Some reviews have criticised it for not being a GTI, but that's the point - it's not a GTI, it's a different car with a different purpose.

I'm resigned to the fact that the TDI Golf/Jetta may be my only decent diesel option (aside from a well-used Mercedes), though I will be willing to at least test drive a Cruze as an acknowledgment to GM for bothering to bring it here.

 

[mgartner0622]

Diesel engines are excellent although it in worth considering one drawback and that is the freezing point of diesel fuel....

I drive a Jeep Liberty 2.8 CRD (common rail diesel) which is not available in the States so I understand. The fuel economy is great, mine in an auto and I get all round 30 mpg's in euro terms this isn't too great as most small cars do around 38-40 mpg if petrol 50+ mpg's in diesel, but these are cars that weigh nothing!

I love the Jeep, especially the diesel because it gives the truck gravitas! but diesel fuel freezes at around -15 degs C... In the UK is hardly every gets this cold (although I did have one day this winter when the Jeep wouldn't start because it was -18!)... In the UK we don't have engine block heaters in the UK, so I am not sure if it would be possible to cold proof?

just be aware!

Someone said about diesel engines coming from single sources... this is because these engines are complicated to design and build and it's cheaper for car makers to go to the experts..... the one I have in the Jeep is a VM Motori and Italian engine based on one they put in London Black cabs! bullet proof engine!

On a side note, interestingly enough they sold the Liberty CRD in the US for about 3 years, (This was 5 or so years ago) as well as a Cherokee diesel for about two years. Both of them sold terribly, but now, at least here in Colorado, they fetch quite a high price if you can find one at all. The mercedes diesel engine they used in it is very reliable.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Update

GM has confirmed that their Lordstown, Ohio plant will be revamped to the tune of $5.5 million to accomodate the assembly of the diesel variant of the Chevy Cruze. in 2013.

Yes, Lordstown. It really is as redneck as it sounds, too. I've passed through there a few times.

Still, good news for those of us looking forward to more diesel choices in the US.

Meanwhile, in other diesels-to-the-US news, Chrysler has announced that the Jeep Grand Cherokee will be available as a diesel starting in 2013. Like the Cruze, the Grand Cherokee is already sold as a diesel in Europe, so the engineering should be pretty minimal. The 3.0 liter V6 unit gives 224hp and 406 ft-lbs in European trim, so it should be an attractive option for towing while maintaining better fuel economy.

Chrysler is considering using this same diesel engine in the 300 and Ram pickup. Perhaps the Durango would be a good candidate as well.

 

[carlgo]

Here's my idea:

Instead of making hybrids that can go for a limited distance on electric and then have the gas motor cut in, do the opposite.

Gas/diesels do very well at highway speeds and highway speeds don't require a big and powerful motor and that further enhances mileage.

Why not use hybrid technology more as an electric supercharger to kick in when needed, going up grades, accelerating and so on. And to have it kick in when in city driving when hybrids work their best anyway.

My car gets 24 mpg on the 75 average California freeway speed, but just a few days at home driving to the store, etc and the overall average drops to below 19. Hybrid technology would bring back the lost 5 mpg and a "freeway motor" could probably get nearly 30 mpg and so it would be easy to pick up around a 30% increase in gas mileage without going to tiny car or anything.

I think this is the best combination of cost and power and mileage as it wouldn't need such a large battery or charging system. I would also have plug-in capability good for 20-40 miles. That covers most trips to the store, picking up kids, etc.

And I agree with a previous post that diesel-electric is the way to go right now. Think locomotives. I'm surprised 18-wheelers don't use this technology.

 

[quagmire]

Here's my idea:

Instead of making hybrids that can go for a limited distance on electric and then have the gas motor cut in, do the opposite.

Gas/diesels do very well at highway speeds and highway speeds don't require a big and powerful motor and that further enhances mileage.

Why not use hybrid technology more as an electric supercharger to kick in when needed, going up grades, accelerating and so on. And to have it kick in when in city driving when hybrids work their best anyway.

Parallel hybrids like the Prius already do that. Even when you go faster than 25 MPH when the gas engine turns on, the electric motors are still assisting the gas engine.

With vehicles like the Volt, the Volt's twin the Opel Ampera gives the driver the ability to run the gas generator for highway trips and then switch over to pure electric when they arrive in the city. If they gave the Volt the ability to do it here, I believe it would make it ineligible for the $7500 tax credit. So that is why the Volt lacks that feature.

 

[MasterBSOD]

What about a Vin Diesel Engine?