After the annual Christmas shutdown of the factory, the Cruze will be the first car to roll off its assembly line, scheduled to go on sale in February. The sedan version will be followed later in 2011 by a five-door hatchback version.
At first both versions will be offered with a choice of three powerplants built by GM-Daewoo in South Korea: the 138 hp and 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) 1.4-liter turbocharged gas engine, new 158 hp and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) 2.0-liter diesel and a retuned version of the current 140 hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine.
A sportier 176 horsepower 1.6 liter turbo charged four cylinder engine from Opel’s Astra range will complete the engine lineup for the Cruze later on. Eventually, Holden Special Vehicles could also equip the Cruze hatchback with an even more powerful engine.
The old 147 horsepower diesel engine, that has endured severe criticism for its lack of performance and loud noise, will be replaced with the brand new 2.0 liter diesel. The same engine will probably equip the new Holden Captiva, arriving in Australia next March.
Holden will import body panels for the new Cruze from South Korea or China, with more complex panels to be stamped in Adelaide, in the same facility that produces panels for the Commodore.
Holden says the locally-built Cruze will provide a small car alternative to the Commodore to take advantage of swings in customer preference.
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