6 features the 2016 Chevy Cruze counts on for a win.
Detroit – In keeping with the times, Chevrolet’s all-new Cruze is larger yet lighter and offers a full suite of connected gadgets and electronic driver aids. The sleek and advanced 2016 Chevrolet Cruze that debuted today could put Chevy back on a lot of Americans’ shopping lists, or it could continue GM’s largest brand’s slide toward irrelevance in the family-car business.DETROIT – General Motors Co (GM.N) on Wednesday unveiled the new-generation Chevrolet Cruze compact car, a linchpin of its effort to attract new buyers to the brand and a symbol of the U.S. automaker’s competitive challenges.
DETROIT (AP) — Five years ago, General Motors revealed an all-new compact car in the U.S. that was designed to enter a market that GM ignored for decades. To win, the Cruze must grab buyers’ attention and persuade them to move away from trusted, reliable models like the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. • Light weight. The new Cruze is a whopping 250 pounds lighter than the old model, despite also being longer and having more passenger and luggage room for any compact. Designers clearly set out for a more sophisticated design for this new model and it also has a leaner stance thanks to a 68mm increase in overall length and 25mm reduction in height. Cool technology features are aimed at young buyers, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to link smartphone screens to the car’s dashboard screen.
Despite the increase in size, which also results in more cabin space, and a more rigid body structure, the new sedan weighs up to 113kg less than the current Cruze. The more high-tech Cruze is part of a broader product strategy that GM Chief Executive Mary Barra points to when making her case that GM can thrive without taking on a partner, such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI). GM’s revamped compact sedan will drive into a crowd of competitors with similar performance, features and functionality in the same price range – about $16,000 to $26,000 in the United States. A standard new turbocharged motor is more powerful, quieter and more efficient. “We retained all the attributes that made the original Cruze a hit around the globe and built on them to make this car more sophisticated, more fun,” said Alan Batey, GM’s North American president. Most versions of the new Chev, namely those with L, LS and LT badges on the boot, soldier on with a torsion beam rear axle but the range-topping Premier sports a Z-link design that aims for an even more “balanced” driving experience as GM puts it.
The Cruze looks like a leader out of the gates, launching with both Chevrolet’s already established 4G LTE wi-fi hotspot and adding built-in Apple Carplay and Android Auto, likely to be the two next big things for in-car connectivity. The new cabin has a more upscale appearance thanks to layered surfaces and greater use of soft-touch and animal-grained surfaces, as well as fabrics with “French stitching”. A must-win for Chevrolet, both because compacts are often first cars for new drivers — purchases financed or influenced by nervous parents — and because small Chevys were among the worst offenders in the scandal over faulty GM ignition locks. The MyLink screen in the centre is new and comes in a 7-inch colour touchscreen configuration which supports navigation, Bluetooth and can also connect some of the smartphone’s features with those of the car. The Cruze pulls out all the stops, with available safety systems and driver aids including blind spot and cross-traffic alerts, lane-keeping to prevent the driver from wandering out of their lane, and driver alerts to avoid frontal collisions.
Chevy promises highway fuel economy of at least 40 m.p.g., but it’ll need to improve on that to be a leader in the fiercely competitive compact market. Batey said Chevrolet will not entirely abandon fleet sales for the Cruze, but going forward “somewhere between 15 to 20 percent is a pretty good number.” A brand new 1.6L diesel that goes on sale later aims to battle established leaders like the VW Golf and Jetta diesel and could win a few buyers who were considering hybrids. Extra room came from a combination of a larger car, thinner seats and other changes. “A big, long math problem but it adds up to you’ve got more room in the back,” said Jim Dimond, engineering manager. It’s 2.7 inches longer and an inch less tall than the 2015 model, sporty proportions that give the car a totally new feel. “We want to de-commodify the design of Chevrolet sedans and make it a global strength,” for the brand, Chevy design chief John Cafaro said.
The engine which will make more sense for India, the 1.6l diesel(details including power and fuel efficiency will be released closer to launch) is said to have nearabout the same PS/Nm combo as the old 2.0l but with enhanced efficiency. Yet GM has trimmed costs by building the same Cruze through most of the world. “We’ve been able to drive efficiencies in the organization, leveraging our scale.