GM Sticks by Diesel Plans

General Motors Co.is moving forward with plans to launch new diesel-powered cars and trucks in the U.S. despite the negative publicity cast on the technology by Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal.  

Mark Reuss, GM’s executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, tells reporters the company is on track to launch the Chevrolet Cruze small car with a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine next year. The vehicle is “too good not to do,” he asserts.

The new four-banger, which replaces the outgoing Cruze’s 2.0-liter diesel, is expected to make the Cruze GM’s most efficient non-hybrid vehicle in the U.S.

GM also plans to offer 4- and 6-cylinder diesels in unspecified Cadillac models. The Caddy oil burners are due to bow in Europe in 2019 before migrating to the U.S. early next decade. Reuss says there are no delays in the program, but notes that the timing hasn’t been finalized.

The carmaker is in the process of adding a 2.8-liter Duramax 4-cylinder diesel option for its 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks. GM says the new Duramax engine will be its cleanest diesel ever, thanks to a new cooled exhaust gas recirculation system and common-rail direct fuel injection.