Photo:The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze's 1.6L turbodiesel scored a 52-mpg EPA highway fuel economy rating.

By: Mark Phelan , Detroit Free Press Auto Critic 11:06 p.m. ET Feb. 18, 2017

The 52-m.p.g. diesel engine on sale now for the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze makes a powerful argument for the benefits automakers and their customers get from global engineering and manufacturing.

The new 1.6L four-cylinder turbodiesel gives the Cruze the highest EPA rating for highway fuel economy of any non-hybrid or electric vehicle sold in the U.S. — 52 m.p.g. with GM’s new nine-speed automatic transmission, along with 30 m.p.g. in the city and 37 in combined driving. The engine is also 50% quieter at idle than the previous Cruze diesel.

Chevrolet wouldn’t have the engine without General Motors’ product development and manufacturing operations around the world. U.S. diesel car sales are too small to justify developing and building the engine. To make economic sense, the program had to piggyback on diesel production in other parts of the world, offering U.S. buyers a choice they wouldn’t otherwise have.

The engine was developed in Italy, Germany and the U.S. It’s built in a factory in Hungary that makes engines several GM brands use around the world.

Diesels are very popular in some countries, but they account for a tiny share of American passenger vehicle sales, peaking around 3% before plummeting when Volkswagen’s diesel program went up in smoke.

Despite that, GM is optimistic about the technology’s prospects. In addition to the Cruze compact sedan and hatchback, GM will offer the new 1.6-liter diesel in the 2018 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain compact SUVs that go on sale later this year.

“Diesels are and will remain an important part” of Chevrolet’s program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption, GM vice president of global propulsion systems Dan Nicholson said, adding that the engines’ efficiency can save customers thousands of dollars in fuel bills, despite the fact that the engine adds about $2,800 to the price of a Cruze hatchback.

“Diesels present an opportunity for growth for Chevrolet,” because they combine fuel economy and high torque output for acceleration, Nicholson said.

The Cruze’s 1.6L turbodiesel produces 240 pound feet of torque and 137 horsepower.

“A lot depends on the public perception of diesel,” in the wake of VW’s emission-cheating scandal, Motor Trend magazine technical director Frank Markus said. “Chevy’s new engine has very impressive efficiency and technology.”

Chevrolet and GMC will have a total of 10 diesel vehicles on sale in the U.S. by the end of this year, ranging from the Cruze and Equinox to the Colorado and Canyon midsize pickups and heavy-duty full-size pickups. GM sells a total 34 diesel-powered vehicles around the world, including many small cars and SUVs in Europe and Korea, where diesels are very popular.

“Diesels are one of the lowest cost ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” Nicholson said.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.