Diesel and Turbo Engines Crank Up The New Chevy Cruze

It’s one thing to enjoy a good engine – to love the feel of the smooth revving, the sound of the engine and the knowledge of a powerful block under the pedal pushing your vehicle from point A to wherever. This is the feeling that car lovers live for and perfectly encapsulates the feeling of cruising on the open road. But there’s one thing that can seriously improve this already-amazing feeling:

Having a car that matches the engine.

This can mean a couple of things – from the low, sleek design of the Camaro that seems to fit perfectly with the roar of its amazing block, or the quiet modesty of the all-electric Spark, that confirms it power through its powerful, silent acceleration. And, as is the case with the 2016 Chevy Cruze, it can mean the perfect balance of efficiency and sportiness to match a powerful turbo perfect enough to make the whole driving experience seem like it was designed just for you.

The newest editions of the Cruze set a tone for that perfect combination of style and function that make this model such a pleasure to drive. This incredible engine technology helps re-affirm the Cruze’s place as a super-efficient compact for the modern age, and promises a great drive for those willing to take the Cruze challenge. Chevy plans to do this with two impressive new engines for the upcoming Cruze models: a standard turbocharged engine on the 2016 Cruze, and a planned clean diesel engine on the 2017 Cruze.

A Standard Turbo Engine – Baseline Performance Elevated

Perhaps most impressive – and most immediately attainable – is the all-new 1.4L direct injection turbocharged engine found standard on the 2016 Chevy Cruze.

This impressive turbo block can pump out 153 horsepower – amazing for its size – and, with the help of an available six-speed automatic transmission, can hit up to 40 mpg highway. This means that new Cruze drivers will be able to travel a maximum of 530 miles on a single tank of gas.

The 2016 Cruze also features highly-efficient stop/start technology, which deactivates the gas engine at a regular traffic stop – like a traffic light – and automatically restarts it once the driver hits the gas pedal. This can greatly save on fuel in the long run by eliminating wasteful idling, and helps to bolster the already-amazing fuel efficiency of this mighty turbo engine.

This turbo is expected to deliver 0 to 60 mph in just 8 seconds, which would earn an industry-best for the Cruze. That means that the Cruze is not only more efficient than most of its competitors, but quicker too.

Low-friction piston rings, a low-friction camshaft drive and a low-friction oil pump all help the engine’s performance by reducing friction in the engine itself, and design changes to the engine itself like a new aluminum cylinder block and head only contribute to the loss of weight that Chevy strove for with the 2016 Cruze.

The 2016 Cruze is able to attain this kind of performance only with the help of some basic, but effective, design modifications that improve performance and reduce fuel consumption. This included the Cruze’s all-new lighter, high-strength steel frame that reduces curb weight by about 250 lbs. This helps to increase the model’s agility and handling without sacrificing strength or safety in the event of a crash. With less weight to motor around, the engine can achieve a much higher performance over previous Cruze models.

This is despite the new Cruze being slightly longer than the 2015 model, which not only improves interior passenger space but also increases the model’s aerodynamics. This is critical to improving and maintaining fuel efficiency, and since the Cruze is specifically designed with efficient airflow in mind it has no trouble overcoming drag and maintaining good velocity on the road.

These improvements to aerodynamics come in the form of a faster windshield rake and faster-sloping rear profile, seamless rocker panels, a standard rear spoiler, and muscularly-detailed body panels. In a bold display of luxurious design, Chevy is actually able to greatly improve the efficiency of this new Cruze model.

Honestly, though, the most amazing part of this impressive engine system is that it comes standard on every 2016 Chevy Cruze – meaning new Cruze drivers won’t have to choose between performance and efficiency. These will simply come with every Cruze – a great deal for a fantastic new model.

Clean Diesel for the 2017 Cruze

Also coming up from the Cruze is a diesel engine predicted to be even more efficient than the already-impressive Cruze to come for 2016. This low-emission, high-efficiency engine package is expected on the so-far-only-teased 2017 Cruze.

Slightly to our chagrin, Chevy announced that it would be pushing an update of its clean diesel technology further than expected, skipping completely over the 2016 model and onto the following year. This technology will build on the impressive and highly successful clean diesel 2015 Cruze, which boasted an amazing 46 mpg highway. With that kind of fuel efficiency, the 2015 Cruze just beat out its competitor, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI clean diesel, which came in at just 45 mpg highway. And, the best part – theCruze does it with all of the great handling and performance expected in a Chevy.

Clean diesel engines are particularly amazing because they offer similar – or better – performance compared to a gas engine, and yet produce up to 90 percent fewer NO2 and particulate emissions than even previous generation diesel engines.

Amazingly, this turbo diesel engine gave the 2015 Cruze a remarkable 717-mile range on a single tank and an SAE-certified 151 horsepower and 264 lb.-ft of torque. For a vehicle with such impressive fuel efficiency, this kind of power is relatively unheard of – especially from a compact model.

This diesel option made for a highly efficient 2015 Cruze, and we’re excited to see how it’s put to good use in the highly-anticipated 2017 Cruze. If the improvements on the standard turbo engine are any indication, the new diesel should be a pretty impressive piece of machinery.

These new engine technologies represent two of the greatest strides Chevy has made into improving the efficiency and performance of the Chevy Cruze. With these kinds of fuel-efficient updates on the horizon, we’ve never been more excited about the future of the Chevy Cruze.