New Chevys offer fuel-saving, six-speed automatic transmissions

In an effort to increase fuel economy, General Motors announced that the Chevrolet Cruze will be available with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. With either choice, the Cruze will deliver impressive fuel economy and performance, the company said in a press release.

The Cruze Eco model is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds and deliver a class-leading 40 miles per gallon on the highway when equipped with the manual transmission (estimates for the Cruze Eco with an automatic transmission will be available closer to launch).

"Our advanced six-speed transmissions offer customers wide-ranging benefits," said Charlie Klein, director of GM Global Mass, Energy and Aerodynamics, "including reduced cost of ownership, improved vehicle performance, lower CO2 emissions, and a lesser dependence on foreign oil. As such, the wide availability of six-speed transmissions is a real advantage for Chevrolet customers."

GM also revealed that 12 Chevrolet models will be offered with fuel-saving, six-speed automatic transmissions, including the Avalanche, Camaro, and Suburban. Chevrolet has quickly become a leader in six-speed automatics, which will be available on 75 percent of all Chevrolet cars, trucks, SUVs, and crossovers for 2011.