The Cruze name has proven a huge success for Chevy, not only in Europe or Asia, but also in the US, despite not being specifically designed for the market. With no history or heritage backing it up, they've sold well over a million units with a good chance of reaching two million by the time production ends in 2015.
Originally expected to come out in 2014, the new Cruze has reportedly been pushed back to 2015 and will thus go on sale as a 2016 model year in the United States. We caught up with this test prototype in Germany and have the first images of the interior ever taken.
It's a clean, simple design, a blend of elements from the bigger Malibu sedan, but with a distinct hint of Opel to it as well. Perhaps it's not the Taj Mahal, but the interior of the new Chevy Cruze looks like a wonderful place to be.
The new Cruze will be based on GM's new D2XX platform and will offer a lot more legroom thanks to a wheelbase that's been increased by around 50 mm. Thanks to the use of high strength steel, it should also be lighter and thus more efficient than the current model.
It will also benefit from a range of new engines which sister company Opel is working on. German engineers have developed an aluminum block 1.6 turbo with direct injection that delivers 170 hp. This is likely to go both into the Cruze and future Buick models. A diesel US model is also very likely, the 2-liter 140 hp unit announced for the current Ohio-built model being a likely carryover.
It's a clean, simple design, a blend of elements from the bigger Malibu sedan, but with a distinct hint of Opel to it as well. Perhaps it's not the Taj Mahal, but the interior of the new Chevy Cruze looks like a wonderful place to be.
The new Cruze will be based on GM's new D2XX platform and will offer a lot more legroom thanks to a wheelbase that's been increased by around 50 mm. Thanks to the use of high strength steel, it should also be lighter and thus more efficient than the current model.
It will also benefit from a range of new engines which sister company Opel is working on. German engineers have developed an aluminum block 1.6 turbo with direct injection that delivers 170 hp. This is likely to go both into the Cruze and future Buick models. A diesel US model is also very likely, the 2-liter 140 hp unit announced for the current Ohio-built model being a likely carryover.