Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel Delivers Efficient Performance

2013-05-23

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Oshawa, Ontario (Tuesday, May 28, 2013) – The all-new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel features an advanced 2.0L clean diesel engine with an automatic transmission that delivers an industry best 4.2 L/100km highway – better than any non-hybrid passenger car in Canada. It arrives in Chevrolet showrooms next month.

Clean diesels generate at least 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions when compared to previous-generation diesels.

Cruze’s 2.0L turbo-diesel is based on proven architecture used in European models, where approximately 40 percent of all Cruze models sold feature a diesel engine. Collaborating with Italian and German engineering groups, GM’s diesel experts in the United States adapted the engine to accommodate more stringent diesel emission standards and a wider range of driving conditions – including colder climates and higher altitudes – for the United States and Canada.

“This Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel represents a new era in diesel performance for North American cars,” said Italy-based Jens Wartha, 2.0L turbo diesel chief engineer. “We’ve adapted a proven engine from Europe, the world’s diesel capital, and married it with the emissions-reducing technology that was perfected in the United States. It’s a great example of how Chevrolet’s global resources work harmoniously to produce the right product at the right time and for the right market.”

Cruze Diesel beats its rivals in performance, with a segment-leading, SAE-certified 151 horsepower (113 kW) and 264 lb-ft of torque (358 Nm), and can go from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in about 8.6 seconds. Its advanced 2.0L turbo-diesel engine produces at least 250 lb-ft of torque (339 Nm) between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm and has an overboost feature capable of increasing torque to an estimated 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) for short bursts of stronger acceleration when needed, such as merging onto a busy freeway.

“With the benefit of continuous refinement in other markets, the 2.0L turbo-diesel comes to the United States and Canada with performance that will impress,” said U.S.-based Mike Siegrist, 2.0L turbo diesel assistant chief engineer. “It is powerful, efficient and clean. It will change perceptions of what a diesel car can be while giving customers another fuel-efficient choice in the Cruze lineup.”

Cruze models in the United States and Canada offer a 1.4L turbo, a 1.4L Eco model and 1.8L naturally aspirated engine.

The 2.0L turbo-diesel engine provides improved fuel consumption than a comparably sized gasoline engine through greater thermal efficiency, a higher compression ratio and an unthrottled combustion process. It features an iron cylinder block and a forged steel crankshaft, each designed to stand up to the greater cylinder pressures that come with a turbo-diesel engine.

A lightweight aluminum cylinder head and aluminum intake manifold contribute to the engine’s weight of 408 pounds (185 kg), helping the Cruze Diesel’s handling and ride characteristics. Additional highlights include:

Dual overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters with low-friction roller-finger followers
Quiet belt-driven cams/valvetrain with high-strength belt material and tensioner rated for 100,000 miles
High-strength aluminum pistons with reinforced top ring and integral combustion bowl design
Central direct injection, with the injector positioned in the middle of the cylinder, with the bowl in the piston serving as the combustion chamber. This enables a high 16.5:1 compression ratio that enhances power and combustion efficiency
Variable-swirl intake manifold design, which makes the most of air charge mixture motion in the cylinders for a more-efficient combustion that enhances performance and reduces emissions
Common-rail fuel system with Piezo fuel injectors that create multiple injections per combustion for greater performance, combustion efficiency and quietness
Variable-nozzle turbocharger that broadens the engine’s overall torque curve. It is mounted close to the exhaust outlet of the engine for quicker “spool up” of the turbine and faster “light off” of the exhaust catalyst
Intercooling system produces a cooler, denser air charge for greater torque and power
Piston oil jets that help reduce friction and optimize piston temperature for greater performance and efficiency
Turbocharger bearings are oil-lubricated and cooled via an oil cooler
Variable-displacement oil pump helps save fuel by optimizing the oil pressure, which reduces friction
Vacuum pump designed for lower engine friction
Ceramic glow plugs, which provide greater cold-start performance over conventional metal glow plugs (an engine oil heater is offered for cold climates)
B20 bio-diesel compatibility.

Quiet, smooth performance is enabled by a number of features on and around the engine. There are also sound-absorbing features, specific to the Cruze diesel, including a unique dash mat, hood blanket and more.

A precise exhaust gas recirculation control system features a high-capacity cooler and bypass feature that enable the engine to meet U.S. and Canadian diesel emissions regulations. There is also an exhaust after-treatment system similar to what is used on Chevrolet’s heavy-duty trucks and vans equipped with the Duramax diesel, including a diesel particulate filter and diesel emission fluid injection, that helps make the 2.0L the cleanest diesel passenger car engine ever from GM.

An approximately 17 litre (4.5-gallon) tank in the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel holds enough diesel emissions fluid to provide at least 16,000 kilometres (10,000 miles) of driving between refills.

Chevrolet has sold more than 2 million Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010. More than 35,000 of those sold last year were diesel powered.

About Chevrolet in Canada

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.ca, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chevroletcanada or by following @ChevroletCanada on Twitter.