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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.

2017 Chevrolet Trax gets a friendlier face, more tech

Chevrolet only introduced the Trax for the 2015 model year in the US, but since the car was available for many years in other markets, it's overdue for a refresh. The 2017 model year updates include a major improvement in the CUV's styling and a more extensive slate of available tech. The current Trax looks somewhat frumpy due to its chunky headlights and square face, but the 2017 update does wonders for the compact CUV's styling. The narrower headlights wrap around the front end, and higher trim levels get LED running lights. The angular lower portion of the grille also has more visual flair compared to the current rounded shape. Around back, there are minor tweaks to the bumper and taillights. The 2017 Trax's interior looks like a much nicer place to spend time. A new instrument panel includes an analog speedometer and tachometer, plus a digital info display on the right side. The infotainment system is now Chevy's seven-inch MyLink unit with available Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G LTE support. Chrome trim on the center stack and dashboard also make the updated Trax seem more luxurious inside. The latest model keeps the current powertrain, which consists of a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque and a six-speed automatic gearbox. Buyers can now enhance the CUV's safety with optional side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision alert, and lane departure warning. The 2017 Trax goes on sale this fall in LS, LT, and Premier trims. You can get a good look at the improved styling in the gallery above, and expect live photos of the CUV from the Windy City soon. Chevrolet Introduces 2017 Trax Fresh design, premium interior complement safety, connectivity enhancements CHICAGO – Building on its early success and the rapid growth of the segment, Chevrolet today introduced the 2017 Trax – a more expressive take on one of America's best-selling small SUVs. Contemporary design elements, including an all-new front-end appearance, and a new premium interior compose the visual updates, while new available active safety features and a new infotainment system – with available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility – expand its range of customer-focused technologies.

2016 Chevy Volt will not need premium gas

Buried in the new technical details of the 2016 Chevy Volt released yesterday was a throwaway line about a small but important change that's due to the new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. The first-gen Volt has always required premium gas but the new powerplant will be happy burning plain old regular. The Volt's chief engineer, Andrew Farah, told AutoblogGreen that the change was due to today's Volt owners explaining they were not happy paying for top-shelf petroleum. "The ability to use regular unleaded was based directly on customer feedback," he said. "Since the range extender is an all-new engine, it was optimized to use regular unleaded at the outset. Using regular fuel will not have effect on vehicle acceleration or other performance factors." As Larry Nitz, GM's executive director of vehicle electrification, told AutoblogGreen yesterday, the new engine is more powerful and quieter than the outgoing 1.4-liter engine that's used in the current Volt. Fuel economy and EV range specs for the next-gen Volt are not expected until the full car is revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January.