The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will have the highest highway mileage rating of any non-hybid passenger car sold in the U.S.

Sedan buyers looking to get hybrid-level fuel economy without having to actually opt for a hybrid vehicle now have a new alternative – the EPA giving the new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel a 46 mpg rating on the highway.

That comes in ahead of the Toyota Prius V, matches the smaller Prius C – and falls just 1 mpg short of Ford’s 47 mpg Fusion Hybrid. But, as is often the case, highway mileage alone can be misleading.

The “Clean” Cruze is General Motors’ first diesel-powered passenger car in roughly three decades to be sold in the U.S. market. The maker “harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said the project’s chief engineer Gary Altman. As with its key competitors, about half of all the vehicles GM sells in Europe use diesel power.

Like most competitors, GM will charge a premium for the high-mileage diesel powerplant, though at $7,755 over the gas model – the diesel starting at $25,695 – that’s a significantly steeper premium than for many competing diesel offerings.

The Cruze also starts at more than $2,000 over the base $23,351 for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI – though that base model comes with a manual gearbox while the Cruze has a 6-speed automatic. The Jetta averages 42 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.

Mark Reuss, president of GM’s North American operations, has said the maker will watch “closely” the way customers respond to the Cruze diesel. A strong market acceptance could lead the maker to add new turbo-diesel offerings.  It is reportedly already developing “oil burner” options for the big Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks it is updating for 2014, and possibly also for the midsize pickups to follow as replacements for the Chevy Canyon and GMC Colorado.

In general, there’s growing interest in diesel technology in the U.S.  Chrysler has launched one for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Mazda will soon offer a SkyActiv diesel for its new Mazda6 sedan. Audi plans to launch four new diesels in 2014 and BMW will bring a new 4-cylinder diesel out for the 3-Series. In all, the number of diesels on the U.S. market is expected to double between the end of 2012 and late 2014.

That said, the States still lag well behind the European market where roughly half of all new vehicles are powered by diesels – which are a requirement in virtually every product on the market.

Proponents note that diesels have a tendency to deliver real-world mileage that exceeds their EPA ratings, in contrast to hybrids which traditionally fall short – the government agency often downgrading hybrids as it has been repeatedly forced to revise its mileage tests.

That said, potential buyers should note that diesels do best on the highway, while hybrids usually deliver their highest numbers in stop-and-go traffic that allows them to recharge their batteries.

So, while the Prius v may “only” yield 40 mpg on the highway, compared to the Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel’s 46, the Toyota hybrid also gets 44 mpg in the city. There, the Cruze is rated at a much more modest 27, with its EPA Combined number at 33 mpg.

But advocates also note that turbo-diesels deliver a performance punch that hybrids can’t match.  The Cruze Diesel’s 2.0-liter inline-four makes 148 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It has an overboost feature, meanwhile, that can deliver a short burst of added power – torque jumping to 280 lb-ft – when entering a freeway or passing. Under normal conditions, it is rated at 8.6 seconds 0 to 60.  That’s about two seconds faster than the Prius.

The diesel Cruze will go on sale next month in a handful of select markets where diesel sales have been particularly strong.  That includes Baltimore and Milwaukee.  It will roll out nationwide by autumn.