Chevy has announced that the new Cruze Hatchback will be offered with a small diesel engine in the 2018 model year.
It will be the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder unit found in the new Equinox, where it makes 136 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Paired to the engine will be either a nine-speed automatic transmission or a new six-speed manual, the latter of which will certainly return fuel economy benefits.
In the UK, the Vauxhall Astra diesel, which is nearly the identical car, returns 85 mpg on the highway, though that is using the typically generous EU testing procedure and the British imperial gallon. So what does that mean for the U.S.? The Chevy Cruze Hatchback diesel could achieve somewhere around 50 mpg on the highway.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Review
Chevy is hoping to win over some former Volkswagen customers who no longer want a diesel from the brand after its emissions scandal.
The Cruze sedan with the diesel will be on sale in the first quarter of 2017, while the Cruze hatchback is expected to be out by mid-2017. Pricing for the diesel model has not been announced, though we do know that the base hatchback will cost $22,190.
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