Brian Joss –
Chevrolet has introduced the all-new, 2016 Cruze – a larger and lighter, more efficient and more sophisticated evolution of the brand’s best-selling global car, which will compete in the compact car segment.
Packed with new technologies including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and new active safety features, as well as a more spacious interior and an athletic, aerodynamically optimised design, the 2016 Cruze will be launched in South Africa later.
It will be offered in more than 40 global markets and goes on sale first in North America in early 2016, where a new, standard 1.4L turbocharged engine with direct injection and an SAE-certified 113 kW will contribute to a General Motors-estimated 5.9 L/100km on the highway with the available six-speed automatic transmission. Stop/start technology contributes to the Cruze’s efficiency in stop-and-go driving.“The 2016 Cruze builds on a very successful programme that introduced Chevrolet to new customers the world over,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America. “We retained all the attributes that made the original Cruze a hit and built on them to make this car more sophisticated.”
The 2016 Cruze’s interior is designed to be more comfortable and a better connected environment for the driver and passengers, GM said.
The new 1.4L turbo is SAE-certified at 113 kW and 240Nm of torque. With more torque than the current Cruze’s 1.4L turbo and a lighter architecture, the new turbocharged engine is expected to deliver segment-best 0-100 km/h in 8 seconds.
The start/stop feature a shuts down the engine when the car comes to a stop under certain driving conditions and the engine automatically restarts when you take your foot off the brake.
Cruze fast facts
- Cruze is Chevrolet’s best-selling car around the world, with 3.5 million sold since it went on sale in 2008
- Cruze sales in America. in 2014 were 273,060 – a 10 percent increase over 2013
- In America, the Cruze is the segment’s second-best seller to customers under 25
