(June 26, 2015) DETROIT — The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is powered by General Motors’ new, global family of Ecotec small-displacement engines, featuring a modular architecture that is easier to build and adaptable to global markets, while offering customers segment-challenging efficiency, refinement and durability.

In North America, the Cruze is offered with a new Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine that features direct injection to help offer a GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway with an available six-speed automatic transmission. Standard stop/start technology contributes to efficiency in stop-and-go driving.

The new 1.4L turbo is SAE-certified at 153 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque using regular unleaded fuel. It will be offered in additional markets, along with a 1.5L naturally aspirated variant rated at an estimated at 113 horsepower and 108 lb-ft of torque. The 1.5L will be matched with a five-speed manual transmission.

“The new Ecotec family is a globally designed and manufactured engine designed to offer class-leading performance, efficiency and refinement in a wide variety of applications around the world,” said Dan Nicholson, vice president, GM Global Powertrain. “Each variant is designed for a specific application or local market, but all share design, performance and refinement traits that make the new architecture one of the most adaptable in the industry.”

The new Ecotec 1.4L turbo is matched with a standard six-speed manual or available with GM’s new Hydra-Matic 6T35 six-speed automatic transmission. It offers the strength of the larger 6T40 transmission in a smaller, lighter package that enhances efficiency in the compact Cruze.

Chevrolet will add a new clean diesel engine to the lineup in 2017, featuring a B20-capable 1.6L diesel already proven in Europe and other global markets.

“The current Cruze diesel has garnered a loyal following among customers seeking strong, clean and efficient diesel,” said Nicholson. “The next Cruze diesel will take those attributes to the next level with the very latest technology, offering what we expect will be the premier small-car diesel package in North America. It affirms GM’s commitment to offer diesel engines as an alternative propulsion choice for cars in North America and specifically targets the German dominance in the segment.”

The new Ecotec small-displacement engine family featured in the Cruze represents a clean-sheet design and engineering process, leveraging the diverse experience of GM’s global resources. Modularity in parts — such as four-cylinder and three-cylinder blocks – that share bore spacing, bore diameter, liners and other dimensions, reduces complexity and enhances value.

The new engines feature an aluminum cylinder block and head, which helps reduce the Cruze’s overall mass to enhance performance and efficiency. They also feature an integrated aluminum cylinder head/exhaust manifold, which further reduces weight – an attribute that contributes to increased vehicle efficiency and a more favorable front-to-rear weight balance, for a more responsive driving experience.

Computer simulation and modeling were instrumental in developing the new engine family. GM’s engineers at powertrain centers around the globe were able to design and test parts virtually and immediately share the results with their colleagues.

In addition to designing the engines’ basic components electronically, friction, temperature, emissions, efficiency and other performance attributes were modeled and simulated multiple times to make the most of performance before the first physical components were produced. Modeling also helped cylinder block design and other components with structural and acoustic considerations.

“By doing the majority of the development with math data, the time to design, validate and bring to market an all-new engine family was greatly reduced,” said Tom Sutter, Ecotec global chief engineer.

The engines’ calibration and performance characteristics vary among markets, but all variants were tested under GM’s strict regimen regardless of their application. It’s one of the toughest sets of standards in the industry and included a battery of around-the-clock performance and durability trials.