Chevrolet Thinks It Can Scoop Up Disgruntled VW TDI Owners

2016 Chevrolet Cruze (Credit: Chevrolet)

People who’ve been burned in the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal probably will take the buyback deal. That means in the near future, they’ll be in need of a new ride, and Chevrolet thinks it can provide a great alternative.

The American automaker detailed out to Automotive News its plan to use the Cruze diesel to steal market share from Volkswagen. In a way, it makes sense: former TDI owners will miss the ridiculous fuel economy and extreme torque of their old, big-time polluting vehicle. The Chevy Cruze can fill that void.

There are some potential problems with this plan. First off, some people who have VWs might view owning a Chevy as “yucky” since it’s not a chic European brand. Sure, they might at least give the Cruze a look and realize that GM has upped its game since the unfortunate Aveo and its Easter egg-like build quality.

Another problem is that nobody even knows there’s a diesel version of the Cruze. The Chevrolet marketing team has done a tremendous job of keeping the car a big secret. They’ll need to fix that if they want to sell tons of them to former TDI owners.

One other potential problem: those TDI owners might be ready to say goodbye to diesel. Sure, some might still feel dedicated, but others might want to get something they can feel better about when it comes to pollution. We’ll see.