Some more information surrounding the all-new 2017 Chevy Cruze Diesel has finally been released, and with it the fuel-efficiency rating. GM had speculated that the all-new Cruze Diesel was going to get over 50 mpg highway. Like any speculation, the projections seem a little farfetched. Some consumers and experts were hopeful, some speculative, and some might have just straight up laughed. But the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is now confirming that Chevrolet was right about its Cruze Diesel. The 2017 model gets up to an astounding 52 mpg highway. Compared to the previous Cruze Diesel, rated at 46 mpg highway, this might seem like a dream.
It’s certainly not a dream though, and Cruze fans everywhere can rejoice at the Cruze’s latest achievement. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention: this is now the highest fuel economy of a non-hybrid or non-electric vehicle. Looks like the all-new Cruze Diesel just landed itself a pretty fancy title, for now.
Best Fuel Economy Compared to Other Non-Hybrid/Electric Cars
52 mpg highway isn’t easy to come by, even for a diesel model. Considering the previous model Cruze only got 46 mpg highway and was considered one of the higher-mpg diesel models out there, 52 mpg is extremely impressive.
How do we know this? Simply by looking at the fuel economy of other diesel and gas-powered vehicles on the market.
Take a look at the Mitsubishi Mirage, for example, which only gets 28 mpg city/47 mpg highway. Sure, it’s one more than the previous Cruze Diesel when it comes to highway mpg, but doesn’t even come close to touching the fuel-efficiency of the 2017 Cruze Diesel. A 2017 VW Jetta is only able to achieve 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway. The best a 2017 Ford Focus can do is 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway, and a Ford Fiesta gets 31 mpg city/41 mpg highway.
There’s no doubt about it: the 2017 Chevy Cruze truly is the leader when it comes to non-hybrid/electric fuel-efficiency.
The Engine
The engine driving this exceptional fuel-efficiency rating is an Ecotec 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine that produces 137 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque, paired to a six-speed manual transmission. Not only is the all-new Cruze Diesel fuel-efficient, but it’s also able to provide you with an entertaining ride thanks to that decent amount of torque being delivered through a six-speed transmission to the wheels. Its total range on a full tank of diesel is a whopping 702 miles on the highway, which is just nuts to think about.
When that range is broken down further, it’s even more astonishing. Let’s say your commute is 25 miles each way, and most of those miles are highway. All told, to work and back, you’re driving 50 miles, presumably five days a week. That means you can commute back and forth to work 14 times (50 miles a day) without having to fill up. That’s one whole week without even thinking about rolling into a gas station.
The fuel-efficiency really is impressive and since 52 mpg highway isn’t easy to come by, the competition is really going to have to step up its game in order to keep up…literally.
