http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-brief/61594-gm-preps-cruze-diesel-engine-for-us-roadsGM says it is committed to investing $26.5 million for diesel engine development - specifically for the Cruze. That money will be allocated for the installation of five new dynamic benches at the Torino facility for testing of important metrics such as noise, vibration, and chassis dynamometer gauging. The ultimate goal? To create a quiet, smooth, and powerful engine that will appeal to the American consumer.
...GM has managed to sell over 500,000 diesel powered cars across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America - including 33,000 Cruze [FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]vehicles[/FONT][/FONT] with diesel[FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]engines[/FONT][/FONT] in those areas.Why adopt a diesel model rather than a gasoline engine? Fuel efficiency and power, as diesel engines produce more power per gallon than gasoline engines. Presumably, this would allow the diesel engine to have a smaller displacement and still generate the same level of power as a gasoline engine.
"The market for [FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]diesel [/FONT][FONT=inherit !important]cars[/FONT][/FONT] in the U.S. is small at present, but is expected to grow due to Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements and expected increases in gas prices," explained Mike Omotoso, powertrain analyst at LMC [FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]Automotive[/FONT][/FONT]. "So far, the German automakers haven’t had any diesel car competition in North America. GM could do well with it, particularly with younger buyers who don’t have the old prejudices against diesel."...
