The Cruze also becomes the first Chevy diesel since the 1986 Chevette. Weighing the Cruze against that Chevette — the latter’s engine as pitiful as the car itself — shows how far the technology has come. It also illustrates how G.M. is building world-competitive small cars after decades of bumbling indifference.

G.M. has sold more than two million Cruzes globally since the car’s overseas debut in 2009, including more than 125,000 with diesel engines. Popular and right-sized, with some of the lowest warranty costs of any Chevy, the Cruze was G.M.’s ideal choice to reintroduce a diesel to America, said Josh Tavel, the vehicle performance manager for G.M.’s small cars.

G.M. prepped this Ohio-built Cruze with myriad changes to both the gasoline version — including a Cruze Eco that hits 42 m.p.g. on the highway, albeit with a manual transmission — and international diesel models. The idea was to banish any trace of old-school diesel noise, smell and sluggishness.

“We all know what the old diesel myths are, so we really looked to dispel them,” Mr. Tavel said.

The 2-liter engine, developed by G.M.’s European division, Opel, injects fuel as many as five times per engine cycle. Engineers tinkered with 33,000 calibration parameters for the diesel, compared with some 12,000 to 17,000 for G.M.’s typical gasoline engines.

The resulting turbocharged engine is more powerful and slightly more efficient than VW’s same-size diesel in the Jetta TDI sedan. The Chevy’s 151 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque compare with 140 and 236 for the Jetta. On fuel economy, the Chevy takes the highway crown, at a rated 46 m.p.g. versus the Jetta’s 42. But the Jetta’s city rating of 30 m.p.g. beats the Cruze’s by 3 m.p.g.