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.
