Chevy Cruze ECO Garners MPG Crown

We’ve been hearing since this past spring that Chevrolet expected an “economy” version of its compact Chevy Cruze to be certified by the EPA at 40 miles per gallon highway when the testing was accomplished in November. Other models of the Cruze have been on sale in North America since the end of September, but the Cruze Eco was to come to the market a few months later, just after the electric Volt rolls out.

Cruze Thrift

Well, hold onto your hat and keep your gas cash in your wallets — the EPA has come back and certified the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco at a miserly 28 mpg city, 42 mpg highway reports the Detroit Free Press. Both numbers are tops in its class, but the highway number beats all C-segment (compact) models and likely most B-segment (subcompact) models too.

Indeed, Chevrolet is crowing loud and proud about this news and is showing people that the Cruze ECO also beats several hybrid models including the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Turbo Power

The Cruze ECO achieves its segment-busting mileage feat by pairing its thrifty turbocharged 1.4-liter four cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission. More than that, the Cruze Eco includes a number of aerodynamic advantages not found in other Cruze models.

For example, thanks to hundreds of hours spent in a wind tunnel, GM engineers discovered that by including “closeouts” in the upper grille, lowering the front air dam extension, reducing the ride height and underbody panels and by adding a rear spoiler, significant savings could be realized. Roll resistant tires and a 214 pound weight reduction over other Cruze models also contributed to fuel savings which increased effective highway gas mileage from 36 mpg to 42 mpg.

January Availability

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco will be available in January and carry a base MSRP of $18,995, which is $2,000 more than the base Cruze LS. The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine is rated at 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with maximum torque reached and maintained from 1,850 rpm to 4,900 rpm.

Chevrolet says that the Cruze’s turbocharger is integrated with the exhaust manifold, an engineering technique designed to reduce weight and optimize packaging efficiency.

Bar Raiser

With Chevrolet beating EPA mileage expectations, the gauntlet has been thrown down for other automakers to try to match or even surpass the five-passenger Cruze. That’s good news for consumers who aren’t necessarily interested in a hybrid model or, ahem, the $41,000 electrified Chevrolet Volt.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco Specifications

Chevrolet	Cruze Eco
MSRP	$18,895
Standard Engine	1.4L turbocharged DOHC I-4
Transmission	5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic
Horsepower	138 @4,900 rpm
Torque (lb.-ft.)	148 @1,850 rpm and 4,900 rpm.
Seating	2+3
Curb Weight (pounds)	3,009
Wheelbase (inches)	105.7
Length (inches)	181.0
Width (inches)	70.7
Height (inches)	58.1
Passenger Volume (cubic feet)	95.0
Storage (cubic feet)	15.0
Payload	N/A
Towing (pounds)	N/A
Fuel	regular
Gas Tank (gallons)	12.6
EPA Gas MPG	26/37 (automatic); 28/42 (manual)
Manufacturing Plant	Lordstown, Ohio

See Also — First Drive: 2011 Chevy Cruze

Image Credit: Answer to Life

Source: General Motors Company