Those who prefer diesels to hybrids for high-mpg driving haven't had very many options in the US market. Now though, there will be a new option which won't just be easy on the wallet, but it will also be made in America. Chevrolet is investing $5.5 million to upgrade the plant which builds the Cruze, located in Lordstown, in the greatest of all states, Ohio. The plant already operates three shifts a day to keep up with demand, and adding a diesel model will only increase that.

The Cruze is already offered in Europe with a 2-liter common-rail oil-burner, and it is this same engine that will be put in the new North American models. The engine is produced in partnership with Fiat, and is also found in the European-market Captiva. It should be able to produce even better fuel economy figures than the current Cruze Eco, which gets 42mpg on the highway.