The good parts:
-The diesel is a willing engine, and Chevrolet's European diesels are based on sturdier stuff than the Japanese. Typically Korean cars (let's be honest... can't get much more Korean than the Cruze) have good diesels, with most fuel systems lasting into the 100,000+++ mile range with no major problems.
-The Cruze is still a good platform. Nice legroom. Incredibly refined.
The bad parts:
-Yes... the economy of the 2.0 isn't that great. I drove one and topped out at about 45 mpg on the highway. I say it's not that great because a TDCI Focus with the dual clutch can get near-50.
-And... ugh. That six speed automatic. It's got the same damnable transmission logic that makes driving the regular Cruze so irritating. Drove one on the racetrack last year. Had to purposely miss the apexes so I could stay on throttle, otherwise I'd be stuck hanging there waiting for the transmission to downshift. Downshifts would add an extra second or two(!) to each corner exit. And no... left-foot braking doesn't help. If you slow down and need a downshift, you're stuck.
In the real world... that transmission makes the extra power of the diesel largely irrelevant. The "135 hp" Focus is more urgent at every speed than the "160 hp" Cruze. So you're not missing much, really, in the de-tuning.