Chevrolet have unveiled the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback in multiple fuel and transmission options to appeal to all segments.

The vehicle will go on sale from mid-2017. It will have both gasoline and diesel engine options, while the transmission could either be a six speed manual or a nine speed automatic depending on the preference of the buyer. The addition of a diesel model makes a significant difference to the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback line-up. Even though diesels may have received a lot of negative press following the Volkswagen dieselgate scandal, there is no doubt that higher mileage owners would appreciate the lower cost of owning a diesel model.

At present, the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback with only a gasoline engine. Customers can choose between a six speed manual or a six speed automatic transmission to go along with the 1.4 L turbocharged gasoline engine. The announcement is not a major surprise considering that GM has been testing diesel engines on smaller hatchbacks for quite a while. Chevrolet has not announced pricing information for the vehicle, but it is expected to be around the current model especially for the gasoline versions. The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback retails at $22,190.

The diesel engine used on the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze will be the same 1.6 L turbocharged motor seen on the testing versions of the Chevrolet Equinox. The latter will be going on sale in Europe from next year. The motor, though, has been recalibrated for the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze which is slightly smaller. Chevrolet has explained that the reason to bring in a diesel and an automatic variant is to attract a more affluent buyer to the showrooms. Since the diesel passenger car market is over 400,000 units strong every year, Chevrolet to want to take advantage of this market.

Even though the Volkswagen dieselgate scandal has affected the repetition of diesel cars in general, manufacturers like GM have been able to benefit substantially so far. Chevrolet it expects the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback to do a similar job. At the moment, there has been a major increase in the sales of crossovers and SUVs largely due to the low fuel prices. However, president of the North American division of General Motors Alan Batey says that the low fuel prices are not expected to last for long and lightweight passenger cars will once again get back into the demand.

The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze diesel is expected to offer around 50 mpg on the highways.