It’s the day we’d thought would never come. Chevrolet is reentering the diesel sedan market after a long 26-year hiatus. Chevy unveiled their new 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine at the Chicago Auto Show today.
The engine will find its way into the Chevy Cruze for 2014, and will be offered with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The combination is estimated to achieve a best-in-class 42 mpg highway while producing 148 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.
For those times when more power is needed, an overboost function allows the engine to produce 280 lb-ft of torque for up to 10-seconds at a time, making for easier passing and interstate merging.
GM says this diesel is the most sophisticated small diesel they’ve ever brought to the states. It’s said to exceed all government diesel emissions regulations by using a particulate filter with urea injection and a precise exhaust gas recirculation control system with a high-capacity cooler.
The Cruze 2.0 TD goes on sale in late 2013 with an MSRP of $25,695. That price includes leather seating, Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a two-year maintenance plan with a five-year 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
