GM Returns to U.S. Diesel Car Market

[mahatmakanejeeves]

GM Returns to U.S. Diesel Car Market

Industrials
By Ted Reed 02/08/13 - 11:15 AM EST

CHICAGO (TheStreet) -- GM moved Friday to reignite the U.S. diesel car market as it rolled out the 2014 Cruze diesel at the Chicago Auto Show.

Offering a diesel engine passenger car "puts Chevrolet back in the conversation with Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen and BMW," all of which sell diesel cars in the U.S., said James Bell, GM's head of consumer affairs. None of the Detroit Three do so, although GM and Ford sell diesels outside the U.S.
....

GM has not had a passenger diesel car in the U.S. since the 1986 Chevrolet Chevette diesel. The 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme diesel is considered to be one of the 10 worst cars ever made. The failure of the Cutlass diesel "turned Americans off to diesel," said Edmunds.com editor-in-chief Scott Oldham, in a 2012 interview. "It is one of the reasons why diesel is still a bad word in this country."

The Cutlass Supreme diesel failed, Bell said, because "GM took existing engines and tried to modify them" for diesel. In reality, the engine must be thicker and stronger because "the combustion process for diesel is much more violent than for gasoline; the compression ratio is much higher."

[thetonka]

1. The Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion hybrid

Are still a better choice for high gas mileage vehicles.

[denverbill]

2. Good for GM, and good for America.

I bought a Cruze in 2011, after planning on another Corolla. My previous Chevy experience was a '77 Chevy Vega.

The Cruze is a nice little, great mileage car.

[newfie11]

3. The price of diesel kind of puts a damper on mileage

We live on a farm and have to have trucks. I am only familiar with diesel in trucks. Our dodge 350 (2005 megacab) gets 25 mpg which is great but the price of diesel( still well over $3.50 in my area) would stop me from buying a family car using diesel.