In what was supposed to be a surprise?but wasn’t really thanks to rumors swirling in recent weeks?Chevrolet has  announced that its upcoming diesel-powered Cruze would be offered with either a six-speed manual transmission or a nine-speed automatic. What was a surprise was the news that those powertrain combinations  also would be available on the new-for-2017 Cruze hatchback.

Chevrolet offered a diesel engine in the first-generation Cruze, the compact sedan that replaced the Cobalt. And when the Cruze was redesigned last year, the company promised that a diesel engine would again be sold alongside the regular gas-powered model, hinting that the diesel would come only in the sedan. The diesel engine itself is new, displacing 1.6 liters (versus the previous-generation Cruze diesel’s 2.o liters), as is the nine-speed automatic.
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By selling its new diesel engine in two body styles, with the choice of two transmissions, Chevrolet seems to be going after Volkswagen TDI customers displaced by that company’s diesel-emissions cheating scandal. At the very least, the depth of Chevrolet’s budding diesel lineup?which also includes the new Equinox, as well as the Colorado pickup and heavy-duty Silverado?prepares it well for future ...