Governmental representatives including Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Senator Tim Ryan, and numerous others gathered today for the first (purposeful) unveiling of the Chevy Cruze by GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner. The vehicle revealed today is a foam model of the Cruze, a finished product reveal will be coming up at the Paris Auto Show. GM will be investing $500 million dollars in small car development and production with $350 million of those monies being spent at the Lordstown Assembly plant. Wagoner stated production will begin in April 2010, with Cobalt/G5 production either ending then, or concurrent production continuing, dependant upon demand.
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1/15/08- First pictures of the Chevrolet Cruze, shown (accidentally) at a press conference held by GM CEO Rick Wagoner.
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Kamis, 07 Mei 2009
New Chevy Cruze
The 2011 announced Chevy Cruze
The 2011 announced Chevy Cruze is a car that has aroused the interest of many future car owners as it seems to be one of the best deals of the century. Presumably it will allow General Motors to overpass the current financial crisis and sky-rocket it into the top where it once was.
The Chevy Cruze car has been announced with two engine models, and the most interesting of the two is the 1.4 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine clocked at about 140 horsepower. The second engine is a normally aspirated 1.8-liter four that should be good for 138 horsepower. The 1.8-liter unit is likely the same engine that is found in the 2009 Saturn Astra.
As suspected, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is more likely to be labeled as a more upscale small Chevy with more features, higher prices and better specs than it’s predecessor the Chevrolet Cobalt. The available options should also mimic the ones of the Cobalt, including 17 or 18-inch tires, various cosmetic add-ons, upgraded audio, power sunroof, Blue-tooth connectivity, and leather upholstery. A navigation system could well join the list.
The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze concept car
In all, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze stands to be better than today’s Cobalt in many ways. It should thus be a more appealing bow-tie alternative. According to rumours we might also get a Chevy Cruze Coupe version.
Chevy Cruze Release guide
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Release Date: Cruze hits the European market in March 2009, and should be on sale in the United States during the summer of 2010.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze First Test Drive: Media drives could take place in Europe soon after the Paris debut, but formal introduction to American reporters will likely happen just before the car goes on sale here.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Prices: As noted, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is likely to be priced and equipped above comparable Cobalt models, but it’s unclear what the differences will be, given today’s fast-changing sales picture and the bumpy economy. Our educated guess is that the Cruze will start near $15,500, perhaps a little less, and top out at around $21,000. As usual with new-model intros, Chevrolet probably won’t announce final pricing until just before sales begin.
First official images of 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
General Motors have been released the first official images of the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.
GM claims that fit and finish of the Cruze will be world class for a small car, and that its interior will use “grained surfaces, soft-touch materials and low gloss trim panels” to improve its perceived quality. Unfortunately, no shots of the interior were provided.
Read more (+photo)!!
The Chevy Cruze will be a global car, and as such it’s going on sale in Europe first. It will makes its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, where European customers will be the first to check it out in person before it goes on sale in March 2009 overseas. It will be available at launch with a 112-hp 1.6L engine, a 140-hp 1.8L and a 150-hp 2.0L turbodiesel. The North American version will likely get GM’s upcoming direct injected 1.4L four-cylinder. The Cruze will also offer a five-speed manual and GM’s first application of a six-speed automatic in a small car.
UPDATED: new photo from 2011 Chevy Cruze presentation:
Chevy Cruze
What: A replacement four-door for Chevy's Cobalt
When: Will be sold in Europe starting Spring 2009. Production on the U.S. Cruze should begin April 2010
Price: Unknown. The similar Chevy Cobalt starts at approximately $14,500
New for 2011
The 2011 Chevy Cruze's story is a complex one. Initially meant to replace the fuddy-duddy Chevrolet Cobalt, the Cruze is roughly the same size and holds fives people, just like the Cobalt. But a struggling economy and the memory of astronical fuel costs has caused a renaissance for inexpensive small cars with small engines, and the Cobalt has been given a temporary reprieve. Although the 2011 Chevy Cruze is still in the queue, there are rumors that GM will continue production of its Cobalt for the immediate future. And even though General Motors has plans to reorganize several of its brands as a condition of the auto bailout, the soon-to-come Cruze is still slated to appear on U.S. lots in the future.
The new Cruze is a front-wheel drive vehicle to be built on the new Delta 2 platform. It has a confirmed 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, and reportedly makes 140 horsepower and 130 pound feet of torque. Writers also speculate the Cruze could achieve 40 mpg on the highway.
What the Auto Press Says
As the months progress, more information has become available about the upcoming Cruze. Whereas the design, features and release date were previously very hush-hush, Chevy's website now reports production will begin April 2010. Still, test drives with any Cruze -- from either side of the pond -- are few. A Motor Trend journalist had the opportunity to test-drive a Euro-spec Cruze, only to leave with conflicting impressions of coarse engines but tidy handling. Luckily, GM has promised a different engine for the U.S. market. Auto writers, however, eagerly anticipate the Cruze's high fuel numbers.
Here is what the press has to say about the coming 2011 Chevy Cruze:
- "Amid the financial mess that has become General Motors, we're told that the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is coming our way, one more piece of GM's constantly improving product portfolio. Despite GM's financial drama, the Cruze refuses to get sidetracked." -- Edmunds
- "If GM can pull off that mileage, it will surpass the standard gas, non-hybrid offerings on the market today from Honda and Toyota -- Fit and Yaris." -- BusinessWeek
- "Born from Chevy's global design and engineering team, the Cruze will sport many of the exterior elements we've seen on recent concepts, so expect lots of angular lines, a high belt-line and a squat greenhouse." -- Autoblog
- + "Look for greater use of lighter materials despite their higher cost, as weight is the enemy of fuel economy and a car's carbon footprint, not to mention performance." -- Consumer Guide
- During the first published test drive of the European Cruze, Motor Trend notes, "You can certainly feel the solidity of the body, as it traverses rough surfaces with nary a shake, and less audible clang than in most of the Japanese rivals. This despite the reasonably firm spring settings in the European-spec version. The firmish springs make the ride a bit lively over rough roads, but the damping is well-judged provided you limit your speed. Which you probably will." -- Motor Trend
Key Details
GM just confirmed the 2011 Cruze's name, though they haven't been very forthcoming with additional details. At an expectations-management conference, GM CEO Bob Lutz did confirm the turbo engine, its high mpg, and its 2011 birthdate.
Stay tuned for more details on the 2011 Chevy Cruze.
Chevrolet Cruze: Photo update
Although General Motors released exterior pictures of the 2010 Chevrolet Cruze in August, we’ve had to rely on spy shots for a glimpse of the interior — until now. The automaker today released two interior photos to coincide with the car’s unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this week.
One surprising tidbit is that the Cruze appears to buck Chevy’s current twin-cockpit trend, as seen on the new Malibu and Traverse.
Outside, the Cruze takes styling cues from the new Malibu, and promises to be a much sharper car than the current Cobalt. Chief designer Taewan Kim says that the new Cruze’s design is meant to be “bold, not evolutionary. We wanted to take a big step forward, making a strong design statement for 
The car will hit the European market in March of 2009, with U.S. production at the Lordstown, Ohio, plant, where the
Although there is widespread speculation that the Cruze will eventually replace the Cobalt, it still remains possible that both cars could coexist within GM’s lineup. In fact, Chevrolet’s North American head, Ed Peper, says the Cruze is actually intended to create a new segment that slots above the Cobalt but below the Malibu. Seeing the car in person confirms the Cruze could fill that hole in Chevy’s lineup as it is actually bigger than it looks in pictures.
At its European launch, the Cruze will offer a 16-valve, 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 112 horsepower and a 140 horse 1.8 liter. Both gasoline engines will feature variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust sides. Also available for Europe, though not expected in the United States, is a 2.0 liter turbo
Based on what was once called the Delta 2 platform, the all-new Cruze will ride on GM’s Global Compact Vehicle Architecture. The primary engineering and development will come from GMDAT — General Motor’s Korean partner (although there has been strong input from the North American and European planning groups).
Codenamed GMX071, the Cruze shares many components as well as styling features with the next Daewoo Lacetti, including a large portion of sheetmetal.
Obviously Chevrolet’s Cruze and the Daewoo Lacetti will not be completely identical, as each will have different styling cues on the front and rear clips, headlamps and taillights.
Chevrolet will also offer another version for markets outside of the United States, known as the Optra. In addition to these, there will likely be up to 15 different cars for GM’s global markets based on this new “Global Delta” architecture.
Chevrolet Cruze meets an eager Europe 2010
The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial – in fact, it looks like it could be foreign – even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg lights. Spring of '09 will welcome this first Cruze variant to Europe, after which other regions will get it, as well as a probable hatchback and wagon. It will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that charts up to 140 hp and is said to return 40 mpg. Have a look at the high-res gallery of live shots below to get a better idea of what to expect when the Cruze goes on sale here in a couple years.
GM releases official News pics of 2011 Chevy Cruze
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Cruze
They're here! The first official pics of the 2011 Chevy Cruze have been released by General Motors, and we're not ashamed to say it – we like it. Of course, we're comparing it to the current small car in GM's lineup, the Cobalt, so the bar is pretty low. That said, GM's new small car takes the split-grille motif made famous by the Malibu and makes it more interesting with sharp creases rather than rounded corners. The front end features headlights that extend up and "point" to the A-pillars, and a strong character line running the length of the vehicle sits below a concave bend that sweeps up to meet the windows.
GM claims that fit and finish of the Cruze will be world class for a small car, and that its interior will use "grained surfaces, soft-touch materials and low gloss trim panels" to improve its perceived quality. Unfortunately, no shots of the interior were provided, but you can catch a glimpse in this rear 3/4 shot.
The Cruze will be a global car, and as such it's going on sale in Europe first. It will makes its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, where European customers will be the first to check it out in person before it goes on sale in March 2009 overseas. It will be available at launch with a 112-hp 1.6L engine, a 140-hp 1.8L and a 150-hp 2.0L turbodiesel. The North American version will likely get GM's upcoming direct injected 1.4L four-cylinder. The Cruze will also offer a five-speed manual and GM's first application of a six-speed automatic in a small car.
The kicker? The 2011 Chevy Cruze will be built at GM's plant in Lordstown, OH where the current Cobalt and Pontiac G5 are built. Though it'll be built right in our own backyard, the Cruze reportedly won't be available in the U.S. for at least a year or two.
Check out AutoblogGreen's report on the new Cruze to discover its close connection with the Chevy Volt.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Cruze
[Source: GM]
PRESS RELEASE
All-New Chevrolet Cruze Features Dramatic Design
Detroit - The first photographs of Chevrolet's all-new Cruze sedan - making its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October - reveal a dynamic four-door coupe that proves exciting design and value are not mutually exclusive.
On sale beginning in Europe from March next year, Cruze features a dramatic re-interpretation of the traditional sedan featuring Chevrolet's new global design language that is becoming a signature on all new products carrying the gold bowtie.
Cruze's arching roof-line, extending from the steeply raked windshield to its sloping rear pillars and short rear deck, brings coupe-like proportions to a compact sedan.
Wider and longer than most of its competitors, Cruze has a purposeful stance with its wheels located at the outer edges of the tautly drawn bodywork. Noticeably tight body panel fits and a restrained use of exterior trim add to a high quality, 'hewn from solid' appearance.
Cruze's dramatic profile is matched by bold front styling, with large headlamp housings that wrap around the front corners and sweep up, arrow-like, into the fenders and sculpted hood. Other distinct design themes include a concave shoulder line, the two-tier grille and a "wheels-out/body-in" stance. Inside, Cruze features a 'twin cockpit' design motif, first introduced in the iconic Corvette sports car.
"Our goal in designing Cruze was to be bold, not evolutionary," says chief designer Taewan Kim. "We wanted to take a big step forward, making a strong design statement for Chevrolet products around the world."
Visitors to the Paris show will see how Chevrolet's progressive design is also reflected in the quality of Cruze's interior. The use of grained surfaces, soft-touch materials and low gloss trim panels ensures a quality ambience that echoes the clean, harmonious design of the exterior.
At launch in Europe, Cruze will be available with 16-valve, 1.6-liter (112 hp/82 kW) and 1.8-liter (140 hp/103 kW) gasoline engines featuring variable valve timing (VVT) on both inlet and exhaust sides, giving more power as well as better fuel economy and lower emissions. A new 2.0-liter turbo diesel, developing 150 hp/ 110 kW and 320 Nm of torque adds power with even greater frugality. Five-speed manual gearboxes and an all-new automatic transmission, Chevrolet's first six-speed application in the compact segment, complete the powertrain menu.
With sales in Europe up by 23 percent for the first six months of 2008, Chevrolet is GM Europe's fastest-growing mainstream brand. The arrival of Cruze spearheads an exciting new product roll-out program that is expected to propel the brand to even greater success.
"We are proud that Europe is leading the introduction for this global product," said Wayne Brannon, Executive Director, Chevrolet Europe. "Chevrolet has always stood for expressive value and Cruze delivers on that promise like never before. It further redefines Chevrolet with its design, quality, materials and great style inside and out. The fit and finish for gaps and interfaces sets a new standard for this segment in Europe and around the world."
Cruze is the result of a development process harnessing GM's global expertise and is the first of a new family of compact products that will deliver world class quality. It will be backed by expected highest scores in all major crash safety ratings.
The Chevrolet Cruze will be available in Europe from March 2009, followed by other global markets with regional-specific engine choices.