New Chevy Cruze Gets 42-mpg Highway Rating

General Motors Co. says the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze compact car has a segment-leading highway fuel efficiency rating of 42 mpg from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, the redesigned Cruze gets 30 mpg in the city and has a combined highway/city rating of 35 mpg. The ratings apply to L, LS and LT models. The top-end Cruze Premier is has a combined EPA rating of 34 mpg (30 mpg city/40 mpg highway).

The base 2015 Cruze had city/highway/combined rating of 26/38/30 mpg. This year’s 2 mpg improvement in highway and combined driving efficiency is attributed to a 250-lb weight reduction, about one-fifth of which comes from a lighter body structure. City fuel efficiency benefits from a new automatic engine stop-start system.

At 153 hp, the new direct-injection Ecotec engine is 11% more powerful. It also generates 20% more torque (177 lb-ft) than the outgoing 1.4-liter mill.

GM plans to add a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine option next year. The carmaker phased out the Cruze’s previous 2.0-liter diesel in 2015.