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Cruze Diesel Road Trip reveals the good and bad, but no ugly

Most of us have strong opinions on diesel-powered cars based on our perceptions of and experience with them. I used to thoroughly dislike oil burners for their noise, smoke and lackluster performance, and the fact that they ran on greasy, smelly stuff that was more expensive than gasoline, could be hard to find and was nasty to get on your hands when refueling. Those negatives, for me, trumped diesel's major positives of big torque for strong acceleration and better fuel economy. Are any of those knocks on diesel still valid today? I'm not talking semis, which continue to annoy me when their operators for some reason almost never shut them down. At any busy truck stop, the air seems always filled with the sound – and sometimes smell – of dozens of big-rig diesels idling endlessly and mindlessly. Or diesel heavy-duty pickups. Those muscular workhorses are far more refined than they once were and burn much less fuel than their gasoline counterparts. But good luck arriving home late at night, or departing early morning, without waking your housemates and neighbors with their clattery racket. No, I'm talking diesel-powered passenger cars, which account for more than half the market in Europe (diesel fuel is cheaper there) yet still barely bump the sales charts in North America. Diesel fuel remains more expensive here, too few stations carry it, and too many Americans remember when diesel cars were noisy, smelly slugs. Also, US emissions requirements make them substantially more expensive to certify, and therefore to buy. But put aside (if you can) higher vehicle purchase and fuel prices, and today's diesel cars can be delightful to drive while delivering much better fuel efficiency than gas-powered versions. So far in the US, all except Chevrolet's compact Cruze Diesel come from German brands, and all are amazingly quiet, visually clean (no smoke) and can be torquey-fun to drive. When a GM Powertrain engineering team set out to modify a tried-and-true GM of Europe turbodiesel four for North American Chevy Cruze compacts, says assistant chief engineer Mike Siegrist, it had a clear target in mind: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI 2.0-liter diesel. And they'll tell you that they beat it in nearly every way. "I believe we have a superior product," he says. "It's powerful, efficient and clean, and it will change perceptions of what a diesel car can be." The 2.0L Cruze turbodiesel pumps out 151 SAE certified horses and 264 pound-feet of torque (at just 2,000 rpm) vs.

Did the Chevy Corvette Z06 break 7 minutes at the Ring? Not likely

"Just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true." That's rule number one, two and arguably, three, of surfing the world wide web. In today's example of this rule, we have the following. The website HorsepowerKings is claiming that a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with the eight-speed automatic and Z07 package, managed to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under seven minutes. To put that in perspective, that super-quick time would put the 650-horsepower, $97,000 (the price of a 2LZ with the Z07/8AT combo) Z06 a mere two seconds slower around the world's most challenging race track than the $929,000, 887-horsepower Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach. It's about eight seconds quicker than Nissan's own test of the GT-R Nismo Track Pack and 13 seconds faster than a Dodge Viper ACR. Unfortunately, Chevy says there isn't anything to it. We reached out to the Bowtie's Monte Doran, who confirmed that HK's claims are "not accurate." "Any one – a manufacturer, a journalist, a guy standing on the fence of the Ring – can claim a lap time. As such, we think the in-car video is essential to proving a time is real and credible, and Chevrolet will not release a lap until we have a video to substantiate the claim," Doran told Autoblog. "Chevrolet accumulated nearly 1,000 miles of testing on the Nurburgring with the Z06. During that time, we only had two opportunities to run a lap on video – and both were rained out. If we get a lap on video, we will post an official time." Doran finished by referencing the "only official lap time" for the Z06 – a 2:41 around the Virginia International Raceway. Frankly, we aren't terribly surprised by Chevy's position. One would imagine if the Z06 were matching million-dollar hypercars around the 'Ring, the company would literally be screaming about it from Renaissance Center's rooftop. As this is quite the opposite of that, though, we're betting that the real Z06 lap time - while still likely very, very fast – won't be quite quick enough to frighten the brightest and best of today's hypercars.

Chevy Cruze gets first official tease

The Cruze has been a runaway success for Chevy. In fact the company has sold over 3.5 million of them since its introduction in 2008. And now the company is preparing to roll out the all-new second-generation model, previewed in the teaser image above. Set to be unveiled on June 24, the 2016 Cruze promises to be larger, yet lighter, that the model it replaces. It will pack new engines, safety features, and technologies – including the integration of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The new Cruze will be based on the same platform that underpins the new Volt and (among others) the new Opel Astra just introduced in Europe. It'll be a vital model for Chevy, which sells the Cruze in 115 countries around the world – chief among them China, Brazil, Canada, and these United States, where sales continue to rise despite the model's age and impending replacement. Look for the second-gen Cruze to hit dealers early next year, joining a revitalized Chevy lineup alongside such notables as the new Spark, Malibu, and Camaro. Cruze Control: Success Paves Way for Next Generation Chevrolet's best-selling global car surpasses 3.5 million sales 2015-06-03 DETROIT – Chevrolet Cruze, the brand's best-selling car around the world, has surpassed 3.5 million global sales, a milestone that comes as Chevrolet prepares to introduce the next-generation Cruze on June 24. "When we introduced the Cruze it replaced 15 other compact vehicles around the globe," said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and global Chevrolet brand chief. "By consolidating design, engineering and marketing efforts, we were able to produce an award-winning, value-driven sedan that won over customers around the world." Cruze is sold in 115 countries. The top global markets include China, the United States, Brazil and Canada. In the United States, Cruze total sales were 273,060 in 2014 – a 10 percent increase over 2013. It is also the segment's second-best seller to customers under 25 in the U.S. Importantly, Cruze brings new buyers to Chevrolet – 35 percent of all buyers are new to the brand. Additionally, of those who trade in a Cruze, 56 percent stay with Chevrolet and 23 percent trade in for another Cruze. "In every corner of the globe, Cruze has been successful at introducing new and younger customers to Chevrolet," said Batey.