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2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel achieves excellent fuel economy (pictures)

Chevy's new diesel version of its Cruze compact sedan averaged over 50 mpg on the freeway in our testing, and came standard with the excellent MyLink cabin tech interface.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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1 of 19 Wayne Cunningham/CNET
Chevy launched the Cruze compact sedan a few years ago in response to consumer interest in smaller, more economical cars. But this diesel version is new for 2014. Although it gets excellent fuel economy, it is also the most expensive of the Cruze models.
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2 of 19 Josh Miller/CNET
The Cruze Diesel doesn't distinguish itself much in styling. Its lines are subtle and the design seems intended to remain unobtrusive.
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3 of 19 Josh Miller/CNET
The 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine burns diesel, and makes 151 horsepower, but 264 pound-feet of torque.
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4 of 19 Josh Miller/CNET
The Cruze Diesel uses a complex emissions cleanup system that sprays a special fluid into the exhaust, breaking down nitrogen oxide.
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5 of 19 Josh Miller/CNET
For a compact sedan, the Cruze Diesel features a very deep trunk.
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Chevy fits the Cruze Diesel with its top-of-the-line interior, helping to justify the car's higher price.
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Rear seat legroom is a little tight.
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The electric power-steering system has a natural feel, and offers responsive turning.
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The tachometer shows the relatively low redline of a diesel engine.
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10 of 19 Josh Miller/CNET
The MyLink interface relies on a touch screen, but most of the onscreen functions can be selected with the radio tuning knob. Owners can choose which works best for each screen.
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This icon-based format will be intuitive for smartphone owners.
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Chevy makes multiple screens available to host the icons. Unlike in the newest version of MyLink, you can't rearrange these icons.
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Bluetooth phone support comes standard, and includes full contact list integration.
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Weather data is brought in through the satellite radio feed, and displayed on the screen.
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MyLink offers a good range of digital audio sources, although the car lacks HD Radio.
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This music library interface shows up for iOS devices and USB drives plugged into the car's USB port. You can also select specific music using voice command.
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The current track screen shows album art, when available.
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The Pandora interface also shows album art and you can give a track a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
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Pandora integration lets you select from your personalized station listing.

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