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CRUZE HATCHBACK

The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze by the Numbers

April 27, 2016 by admin 4 Comments

The second-generation Chevrolet Cruze is here. Hatchback and diesel variants soon follow.

The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact car, released in 2011 in North America, two years after its debut elsewhere. This model replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt, itself a replacement model for the Chevy Cavalier. Although its arrival to the market was delayed, the all-new 2016 Cruze may be GM’s best compact car ever. To that end, we’ll take a look at the important “numbers” defining this model.

2016 Chevrolet Cruze.
2016 Chevrolet Cruze.

2 — Sell a compact car in most markets and you’ll offer an assortment of body styles, including coupe, sedan, hatchback, and wagon. Although there is no coupe available, the Cruze offers the other three body styles, except in North America where only the sedan has been sold. All that will begin to change later this year when a hatchback variant arrives to the market, giving Cruze shoppers two models to consider. However, when it does arrive the hatchback will be marketed as the 2017 Cruze. Regardless, Chevrolet will soon match the number of body style choices the Ford Focus offers. The Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic and the Mazda3 are among some other competitors with at least two body styles in this segment.

4.2 — Lots of cars have teeny weeny screens in the instrument panel, a digital display with driver information. Squinting is not uncommon when you’re trying to read the various notices. The 2016 Cruze remedies that problem as it has a 4.2-inch diagonal high-resolution screen in the gauge cluster. And if large screens are your thing, the standard 7-inch diagonal color touchscreen in the center console can be upgraded to an 8-inch display.

10 — Since its inception, the Chevrolet Cruze has offered 10 standard airbags, the most in its class. Other manufacturers have followed suit, but few match the 10 or offer both driver and front passenger knee airbags as found in the Cruze. Other safety features available include: lane change alert with side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and forward collision alert with following distance indicator.

42 — With gas prices sitting below $2 per gallon in most locations, fuel economy seems like a distant concern. Raise your hands if you think gas prices will stay permanently low! No hands — I didn’t think so. Chevrolet is going in the right direction with its compact people hauler. The lone engine is a 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder making 153 horsepower and 177 foot-pounds of torque, paired with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or an available 6-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the automatic, this model gets 30 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway, or 1 mpg better than the manual transmission. That makes the Cruze one of the most efficient gas-powered or non-hybrid models sold in America.

53 — GM says that 53 percent of US Cruze customers are new to Chevrolet. That’s a conquest rate manufacturers want and with larger car models such as the Malibu and Impala in place, new Chevrolet owners may hang around. Yes, SUVs such as the Equinox, Traverse, and Suburban are compelling reasons for staying with the bow-tie brand as are sports cars such as the Camaro and Corvette.

250 — The second-generation Chevrolet Cruze is nearly an inch longer between the wheels and 2.5 inches longer overall. The added length translates into slightly more legroom for rear seating passengers. Though larger, the 2016 Cruze comes in 250 pounds lighter thanks to careful light-weighting accomplished through reducing the weight of components in the frame architecture and the engine. Think aluminum and hot-stamped/high-strength steels here.

3,500,000 — 3.5 million is a big number and that figure represents the number of people worldwide who have purchased the Cruze since its 2008 debut. US sales peaked at 273,060 units in 2014 then pulled back to 226,602 in 2015. Likely, the trend will reverse itself this year, a common occurrence with any new or significantly updated model.

Chevrolet Cruze: Beyond the Numbers

A hatchback is not the only thing we’ll see for the second-generation Chevy Cruze. A diesel engine returns, but not before 2017. The most recent turbo diesel displaced at 2.0 liters and was rated at 27 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway.

The upcoming diesel displaces at 1.6 liters and has been lauded by the European motoring press for its whisper quietness and superior vibration qualities according to Wards Auto. Expect fuel economy to benefit accordingly. And with Volkswagen still embroiled in a diesel nightmare of its own making, the Chevy Cruze may enjoy a distinct advantage for at least a season.

See Also — The 2017 Ford Escape by the Numbers

Filed Under: New Models Tagged With: 2016 CRUZE, CHEVROLET CRUZE, compact car, CRUZE DIESEL, CRUZE HATCHBACK, sedan, TURBOCHARGED ENGINE

Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Set for 2017 Debut

January 11, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

The second-generation Chevy Cruze sedan is out. Beginning this fall, a hatchback variant will finally be offered in the US market.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback
http://autotrends.org/images/chevrolet-cruze-hatchback-1701.jpg

It almost seems like eons have passed since the Chevrolet Cobalt and the earlier Cavalier represented the bow tie brand’s compact offering. Since 2011 it has been all Cruze, a far superior model to any previous small Chevrolet car.

The second-generation Cruze sedan is now in place and should help Chevrolet compete in a market dominated by the Toyota Corolla and Honda’s Civic. Other strong players include the Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Kia Forte, Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3, and the Hyundai Elantra.

Detroit Auto Show Preview

In a segment with few hatchbacks, the Cruze has fit right in. However, Chevrolet sees market potential and will add a hatchback body style in time for the 2017 model year. That model was unwrapped days ahead of the start of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Here’s what we know about the Cruze hatchback:

1. From Europe, with love. The Cruze hatchback is not a new body style. Since the Cruze’s introduction the hatchback design has been sold in other markets, particularly in Europe, where it is nearly as popular as the sedan.

2. The sedan and hatchback are the same length between the wheels. Some manufacturers offer hatchbacks and sedans based on differing wheelbase lengths. Typically, the hatchback is shorter, but GM would have none of that. Instead, both body styles sit on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, providing generous rear seat legroom and 47.3 cubic feet of storage capacity when the rear seat is folded.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

3. The design differences are subtle. From the front, the sedan and hatchback are alike. From the sides, the hatchback has a more rakish roof line. Each body style has a unique rear fascia.

4. Turbo is standard. One thing Chevrolet won’t do is have the two body styles share complete trim levels. Instead, the hatchback will be available in just two trims when it goes on sale in the fall — LT and Premier. Thus, all models will be powered by a 1.4-liter, turbocharged gasoline engine, the same one used in corresponding sedan versions.

5. Get your tech on. New cars continue to offer the latest technologies and the Cruze hatchback is no exception. The available 4G LTE Wi-Fi will allow for connectivity of up to seven devices. Furthermore, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support will be possible through the hatchback’s Chevrolet MyLink display.

6. And then there is safety. Like the sedan, the Cruze hatchback gets 10 standard airbags, including knee air bags up front. GM’s OnStar technology will also provide automatic notification in the event of an accident. You can also order up lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, side blind zone alert, and rear park assist. A Teen Driver feature is designed to promote safe driving by novice drivers.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

Some Like it Hot

How important is the Chevrolet Cruze to GM? Since it rolled out in 2008, more than 3.5 million of them have been sold. Further, 35 percent of Cruze owners are new to Chevrolet, a product GM says has helped grow Chevrolet’s market share.

As for bringing the Cruze hatchback to the market, timing may be everything. Said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet.“With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America.” It also corrects a decision made in GM’s pre-bankruptcy days to keep the hatchback out of the market, one that the company realizes was wrong.

If you’re in Detroit during the NAIAS, the Cruze hatchback and other Chevrolet products will be on display throughout out the show’s week-plus long run.

Photos copyright GM Corp.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: 2017 cars, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, CHEVROLET CRUZE, CHEVROLET MYLINK, compact car, CRUZE HATCHBACK, front-wheel drive, GM, NAIAS2016, turbo

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