When one door closes, another one opens. That trite old axiom doesn't always hold true, but it works here. The Dieselgate disaster may have caused Volkswagen to drop the diesel option like a scorched potato, but other auto makers are proving eager to pick it up.
Most diesels available in Canada are found in large pickups, or luxury cars and SUVs, but there is a new option for lower-budget diesel devotees who previously got their fuel-economy fix from Volkswagen's Golf and Jetta TDI compacts.
Chevrolet introduced a diesel option on the compact Cruze sedan late in the 2017 model year. For 2018, it's also available in the Cruze Hatch (as well as in the new-generation Chevrolet Equinox compact CUV and its GMC Terrain fraternal twin).
With MSRPs in the $25,000 to $30,000 range, Chevy's new diesel cars are much more attainable than, say, a diesel Jaguar XE or BMW 3 Series. That said, you still pay a hefty premium for the diesel's promise of parsimony at the pumps. It's only available on the LT trim, and even then, it's more generously equipped than its gasoline counterpart. Good luck with your apples-to-apples return-on-investment arithmetic.
On the sedans, the diesel premium is $4,250 with either the six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission. The same figure holds true for the Cruze Hatch diesel automatic; but the Hatch diesel manual comes only fully loaded with mandatory "options" that inflate the MSRP by an additional $4,600 compared with a gas-engined manual LT hatch.
Bottom line: Diesel MSRPs range from $24,495 for the manual sedan to $29,845 for the manual hatch; the automatic sedan as tested weighed in at $25,845 base and $30,335 with options.
The other bottom line: 5.9 litres/100 km. That's what we achieved over a week of mixed urban and highway driving in late November. On one highway run, we saw 4.8 L/100 km.
As is often the case, the diesel's real-world advantage over gasoline is greater than indicated by Transport Canada tests, which credit the diesel sedan automatic with a combined city/highway rating of 6.5 L/100 km and the gasoline version with 7.0. We would typically expect to achieve about 8 L/100 km from a gasoline compact. The official tests also, incidentally, say the sedan manual is the most fuel-efficient model – 4.6 L/100 km on the highway and 6.4 L/100 km combined.
So the Cruze diesel does deliver where it matters: at the pumps. It's a decent-driving car, too – quieter than you'd expect, with a seamless transmission and a nicely judged ride-handling balance. And we have to assume it does meet Canada/U.S. emissions standards.
That said, even in once-diesel-obsessed Europe, the technology's emissions performance is increasingly under a cloud. To buy any diesel now won't make you a pioneer of green mobility. Be prepared for the possibility that diesels' traditionally high resale value could be a thing of the past.
But if you like diesels, and you drive far enough often enough to value the fuel-cost savings, you should certainly be open to GM's new alternative.
Tech specs
Like most diesels, the Cruze makes up in torque (240 lb.-ft.) what it lacks in horsepower (137).
- Base price: From $24,495; $30,335 as tested
- Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel
- Transmission/drive: Nine-speed automatic/front-wheel
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 7.7 city/5.0 highway
- Alternatives: No diesels. Otherwise, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, VW Jetta
Looks
Like most modern compact sedans, the Cruze features a semi-fastback silhouette and flowing sculpted forms. It's also the largest sedan in its compact segment. Projector headlamps with LED signature lighting is standard, while the test car's body kit and front fog lamps are options.
Interior
The Cruze’s cab-forward styling presents a vast expanse of sculpted dash-top.
Leather seating, push-button start and an eight-way power driver's seat are extras included with the $4,250 diesel option. Markedly cab-forward styling presents a vast expanse of sculpted dash-top, but not at the expense of visibility or user-friendliness: the HVAC, basic audio controls and (eight-inch) touch-screen all fall close to hand. Despite its exterior size, the sedan contains only middling levels of rear-seat space.
Performance
Like most diesels, the Cruze makes up in torque (240 lb.-ft.) what it lacks in horsepower (137). Combine those outputs with a slick nine-speed automatic and the Cruze yields effortlessly brisk acceleration – 0-97 km/h in eight seconds flat, according to Car and Driver. The little diesel is also impressively refined – over most of its rev range. The exception is a rough patch between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm, which might matter less if the automatic transmission wasn't so committed to keeping the engine in precisely that rev range – and that includes highway cruising at typical Canadian speeds.
Technology
Standard amenities include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, OnStar, 4G LTE WiFi hotspot and SiriusXM. A backup camera is standard, too, but other safety nannies beyond the industry standards require the True North package, and even then are confined to warning systems – blind-spot and lane-change alert, rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert; active aids such as adaptive cruise, automatic braking or lane-keeping assist are not on the menu.
Cargo
The Cruze’s cavernous trunk boasts a segment-average 393-L cargo volume.
The claimed 393-L cargo volume is only average for the segment (and less than in the first-generation Cruze) but the trunk looks cavernous to us – well shaped, too. Don't forget there's also a hatchback version.
The Verdict
7.5
The Cruze diesel is a likeable and efficient next-best-thing to the new Golf or Jetta TDI that Volkswagen Canada won't sell you any more.
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