Chevrolet has achieved fuel economy of 22.11kmpl (52mpg) from its Cruze sedan with an Ecotec diesel engine and a six-speed manual transmission. This is the highest highway fuel economy of any non-hybrid/non-EV in America as certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Cruze oil burner achieved 1129.7km (702miles) of highway range in a single tank of fuel.
The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze is in its second generation and is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 137bhp of power and 325Nm of torque. Though the Cruze sedan becomes the first non-hybrid vehicle to achieve an EPA-rated 52mpg, it is just a highway range. When combined with an EPA approved city mileage of 12.75kmpl (30mpg), the diesel Cruze results in an overall fuel economy of 15.73kmpl (37mpg).
The major contribution to the fuel economy feat came from weight reduction, better aerodynamics and powertrain. So the car weights 115kg less than outgoing model owing to use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body, and aluminium in the suspension. The engine loses 15kg replacing cast-iron block with new an aluminium block with cast iron liners. The six-speed manual also weighs less than the automatic. The new Cruze’s aerodynamic drag is 0.28, down from the 0.30 of the outgoing car.
Steven Majoros, director of Chevrolet marketing, commenting on the fuel economy achievement said, “Chevrolet knows there are customers looking for the right combination of fuel efficiency, driving dynamics, fuel type and more. With the EPA-estimated 52-mpg highway Cruze Diesel Sedan, they can get it all.”
The diesel powerplant of the Cruze is also available with a nine-speed automatic, and it’ll achieve 19.98kmpl (47mpg) on the highway and 13.18kmpl (31mpg) in the city, resulting in the same 37 mpg combined rating. But what’s admirable about this feat is that the Cruze became one of only four non-hybrid cars to achieve the 50mpg highway record since 1990.
