New reports from Chevrolet are detailing the technologies built into the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze that will save buyers even more at the fuel pump. We’ve previously reported on the big buzz around this car, with its available Eco trim that offers very competitive mpg and much more. A Chevrolet press release from last week highlights some of the specific ways that the Cruze improves design over more traditional vehicles.
One of the main features in the Chevrolet Cruze design is called DFCO or Deceleration Fuel Cutoff. Basically, this is what it sounds like: when the vehicle decelerates, advanced sensors cut off fuel to the engine, re-opening the connection when necessary. Chevrolet calls this process “seamless” and unnoticeable to the driver, which is a big plus in a world where fuel-saving energies and detractions from the “driving experience” often collide.
Chevrolet claims the DFCO on the Cruze improves fuel economy by 2%. Drivers get even more mpg with the Cruze Eco, a model that reaches toward the 40 mpg mark set by hybrids and other innovative cars. The Chevrolet Cruze Eco, as well as its more prosaic trims, is truly on the vanguard of fuel-efficiency and overall appeal for the twenty first century, where the charms of older cars frequently fail to capture the contemporary audience. North American cars are getting leaner and meaner, and the Cruze is a great example of how GM/Chevrolet and other domestic car makers are practicing a pretty quick “turn on a dime” from the gas-hogs of the 90s to today’s high-tech green cars.
Another positive that the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze offers is price: Edmunds marks MSRP for the base model LS at just over $16,500, with around $15,800 estimated for dealer invoice. The Eco is estimated at $18,400 MSRP and $17,600 for dealer invoice. At these prices, the Cruze should have been added to KBB.com’s recent “Cool cars under $18,000” list, but in any case, it’s going to be a top competitor for the fuel-thrifty crowd in 2011 and beyond.
