GM releases 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray 29 mpg highway

DETROIT- When it arrives in dealerships this fall, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is expected to be the most fuel-efficient sports car on the market.

General Motors Co. today said the highly-anticipated sports car will deliver an EPA-estimated 17 miles per gallon city and 29 mpg highway equipped with an all-new, seven-speed manual transmission. A driver-selectable “Eco” mode will be capable to deliver 30 mpg highway, officials said.

“The Corvette Stingray establishes the benchmark for modern performance cars by using technologies to deliver more performance and more miles per gallon,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette executive chief engineer. “We expect more and more performance cars will follow Corvette’s example.”

The highway is an 11 percent increase in fuel economy over the previous Corvette, while the all-new 6.2-liter LT1 V8 delivers 455-horsepower, a 6 percent increase over the previous Corvette. Chevrolet estimates the Corvette will run from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds.

The estimates are an average fuel economy in both the default “Tour” mode, which delivers 28 mpg highway and the “Eco” mode. Stingrays equipped with the seven-speed manual transmission, Eco mode enables “Active Fuel Management,” or cylinder deactivation, which disables four of the cylinders for improved fuel economy when the power isn’t needed.

For Corvette Stingrays equipped with the six-speed automatic, cylinder deactivation is active in all drive modes until the driver engages the manual-shift mode using the steering-wheel paddles.

GM said fuel economy estimates for Corvette Stingrays equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission will be finalized soon.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible following by the end of the year.

The Stingray coupe, which debuted January in Detroit, will start at $51,995, and the Corvette Stingray Convertible will start at $56,995. Both prices are about $1,400 more than the 2013 models and include a $995 destination.