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2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel destined for Chicago debut

It's been a little over a year and a half since General Motors first confirmed plans to offer a diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze here in the United States, and we've now learned that the oil-burning compact will debut under the lights of the Chicago Auto Show in February. According to GM Authority, the Cruze Eco-D will be introduced as part of the entire 2014 model year Cruze range, set to go on sale in the second quarter of this year.
Earlier reports have indicated that the diesel Cruze will be able to achieve fuel economy numbers in the range of 50 miles per gallon. For comparison, the similarly sized Volkswagen Jetta TDI is rated at 30/42 mpg city/highway, but as we found out in our long-term test of the 2011 model, hitting 50 mpg was a piece of cake.
Official specifications will be released at the time of the 2014 Cruze's unveiling, though reports have stated that the sedan will be powered by a reworked version of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four found in the Holden Cruze CDX overseas. In that application, the four-pot oil-burner produces 160 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque - increases of 20 hp and 29 lb-ft over the 2.0-liter engine used in VW's Jetta TDI.

2022 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra now cost more, again

GM Authority put Chevrolet and GMC pickup truck prices under the microscope, spying the same macroscopic issues none of us can avoid seeing: Price increases. The 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 have been hit with their third price increases this year. The Heavy Duty versions of those same trucks have been given their fourth price increases this year. Starting with the light-duty options, they've been rung up for another $900 across the board, which breaks down to $800 added to the MSRP and $100 added to the destination charge. The mandatory cost for shipping a truck from the factory to the dealer is now $1,795. That destination fee is now more than 5% of the purchase price of the least expensive 2022 Silverado, the Regular Cab Work Truck trim with a Standard Bed and 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder retailing for $36,395 after destination. And that price is $3,200 more than the initial list price from last December. At the other end, the Silverado ZR2 is up $3,400. Average that out, and the Silverado's MSRP has gone up by nearly $700 every month since initial pricing came out. On the GMC side, the bidding starts at $37,195 for the Regular Cab Pro trim with a Standard Bed, a $4,700 increase over pricing announced last October.  Stepping up a tow rating or two, the Silverado HD is now $1,100 more expensive — $1,000 tacked onto the MSRP, the destination charge plumped another $100 to $1,795. The Silvy 2500 HD now starts at $41,295. The Sierra HD turns the screw a few more degrees, going up by $2,100 after the $100 increase for destination. The low bar for the Sierra 2500 HD is $41,995, a $4,100 rise over the price when it hit dealer lots last summer. Whew. Anyone know where the exit is for this "new normal?" Related video:

Nissan Leaf makes it 19 in a row for record sales; Chevy Volt drops 21 percent

The Nissan Leaf continues its streak of "best month ever" sales with 2,881 EVs sold in September. Compared to the 1,953 sold in September 2013, that represents an increase of 47.5 percent and, as Nissan itself must be tired of saying by now, it marks yet another best month ever, same as last month and now the 19th in a row. Okay, sure, we know, Nissan will tout this run for as long as it can, but we're certainly expecting it each month, so if it ever doesn't happen, it'll be interesting to see how Nissan talks about it. Year-to-date, Leaf sales are up 35.7 percent compared to 2013. In any case, Nissan's director of EV marketing, Toby Perry, sent AutoblogGreen a statement that said, "Nissan Leaf owners have turned into some of our best marketers, and they jump at any opportunity to share their enthusiasm with friends and family. Take National Drive Electric Week – a grassroots celebration of all things EV and the perfect platform for LEAF owners to showcase the benefits of going electric. After celebrating with EV owners in more than 130 cities across the country, we saw a significant increase in Leaf showroom visits with midweek traffic just as heavy as what we see on the weekends." Year-to-date, Leaf sales are up 35.7 percent compared to 2013. Over on the Chevy Volt front, things aren't quite as rosy. After coming off a good August (the best sales month of 2014 by almost 500 units), Volt sales were down to 1,394, a decrease of 21.1 percent compared to September 2013. So far this year, Volt sales are down 13.2 percent year-over-year. It's kind of a stretch, but perhaps people are already waiting for the next-gen Volt, which will be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, to go on sale? Speaking of things we say every month, our in-depth round-up of US green car sales is in process and will be appearing soon. Until then, please discuss how these two long-standing plug-in champs are doing on the sales floor. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales hybrid sales