The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel's Mileage Potential Is All in the Gearing

There’s plenty of speculation that General Motors wants to launch the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze Diesel with a highly marketable 50 mile-per-gallon highway fuel economy figure.

“Hybrids are for wimps! Volkswagen just didn’t like you!” the automaker could claim. GM, of course, hasn’t exactly been silent on its grand plan to lure jilted TDI owners to the brand.

Now that specifications have been released for the upcoming oil burner, we can see that a “new” transmission added to the Cruze lineup will play a big role in chasing that mileage crown.

According to the newly released 2017 GM order guide and powertrain guide posted in the GMInsideNews Forum, the manual transmission variant is the one to provide that lofty highway figure.

Chevy will use its MZ4 six-speed manual transmission in the Cruze Diesel — an M32 variant that hasn’t been seen in the Cruze lineup, but came standard in Chevy Sonics equipped with the 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder. The unit boasts a 0.61 top gear, the tallest in GM’s front-wheel-drive stable.

The MZ4’s upper gear ratios also appeared in the former Cruze Eco, which marketed a “triple overdrive” transmission capable of returning 42 mpg on the highway. As an owner, this writer can attest to that vehicle’s ridiculously tall gearing. (In top gear, the sedan picks up speed on barely perceptible inclines with your foot off the accelerator.)

In contrast, the Cruze Diesel’s 9T50 nine-speed automatic boasts a 0.62 top gear, but a lower final drive ratio. Expect a better combined MPG figure from this setup.

Unlike the previous Cruze Diesel, offered only in high-end trim with an automatic, the new model debuts in midrange “LT” trim, with few options available for the stick shift variant. GM has made it clear that it wants to cover a number of bases formerly covered by Volkswagen, so greater diversity is on the way. That includes an RS sport version.

Sourced from a plant in Hungary, the 1.6-liter turbodiesel — GM dubs it the “Whisper Diesel” — makes 137 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. The mill also appears in the downsized 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. Available as a sedan or hatchback, the Cruze Diesel is due to appear next year as a 2018 model.

[Image: General Motors]