More Chevy Cruze Photos

Because people asked for them, we’ve tracked down a few photos from GM’s announcement of the new Chevrolet Cruze yesterday and added them to the gallery of photos we showed you then. The Cruze will go on sale in 2010 in the U.S. and this spring in Europe.

GM says the Cruze will be bigger than its competitors — we’re guessing that means the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla — with a twin cockpit interior much like the new Malibu. There's no word on what engine will be available in the U.S., but expect it to be a new power plant, not what's used in the current Cobalt or European versions of the Cruze. As previously reported the Cruze will get an ultra-efficient 1.4-liter turbocharged four cylinder. We apologize for the error. The photos are below.

Comments

That front is actually quite ugly. There are several design themes going on and they don't work in a unified way.

I believe ths U.S. is getting a 1.4L DI, turbo mill.

The car looks good. Much better than the corolla or Lancer. The civic is OK but not better looking than the cruze. Of course since its a Chevy many folks arent going to like it. The side profile actually reminds me of the A4 which is a good thing. Unlike competing small cars (save the 3) this car actually looks premium.

This car will get a turbo 1.4L and some version of the ecotec. The new turbo is the one that is supposed to get great mileage. The 2009 model gets 24/33 with a 4 speed so they should be able to boost that to at least 25/35 by adding the 6 speed alone.

I hope they don't make it exactly like the Malibu inside, they need to make it have its own personality!

I read that Europe will get a 1.6L and a 1.8L along with a 2.0 turbo diesel. I would think that they would want more fuel efficient engines for Europe. They'll probably produce and sell more diesels.

Wow, this is a signal to GM that they should move their entire design house to Europe, amazing what can be done when Americans let Europeans design. The side profile "bend" is reminiscent of the current 3-series to boot!

i still cannot believe that GM is STILL going to put 4 speed automatics in their new models.

that would be a dealbreaker for me.

Probably just another rebadged Vauxhall / opel dummied down for the US market. If one reads Automobile from the UK one will see there's a h--- of a big difference in performance, handling and engine choices for the same cars in Europe. Witness the Focus, Astra, and any VW/BMW/MB.

On sale in 2010? That means there is still time to fix the grill and put in a hybrid engine!

That might save it, and GM.

"i still cannot believe that GM is STILL going to put 4 speed automatics in their new models. "

This car will have a 6 speed auto. Where are you getting your information?

This car was jointly designed by Koreans and Europeans.

Lilbro,

I hate to break this to you but the Astra is sold in the US as a Saturn. Has been for about 8 months now. The Cruze will be sold around the world with engine choices customized for each market. The US version will likely be almost identical to the Euro version.

"This car will have a 6 speed auto. Where are you getting your information?"

hm...
Am I missing something?
Where did you get that info? o_O

to clarify,
GM has not announced any powerplant or transmission for the U.S. bound Cruze. Any mention of one at this point is speculation.

In this case I think it would be safe to assume the US will use a 6-speed auto transmission since this is a global design and GM has announced that the European model will use a 6-speed auto. But yes it is still speculation.

Keith,
The engine will be American and built in America. It will not come from Europe. Hence the trouble in speculating what it will pack in terms of power or transmission.

Again, speculation, but GM is not investing in the development of 4-speed automatic powertrains these days so you can safely assume that the new engine will be mated to a 6-speed automatic.

They are not investing does not mean that they are not putting something old from parts bin.

I'm not going to continue this discussion...suffice it to say that you will see a 6-speed automatic in the Cruze when it goes on sale here.

what about a five speed?
I'm just kidding!

Keith,
Just so you know, one of my unwritten "rules" for publishing a post is to never speculate without saying I'm doing so and to try to avoid it if at all possible. Usually when I do reflect on something that will happen in the future I say it's a best guess. For the most part I try to only publish confirmed facts. That way no car shopper who runs across KickingTires who isn't an enthusiast won't be confused or misled by anything that is printed. That's why I'll also answer comments that go on to state unsubstantiated rumors from other sites. It's fine that the information is out there, I just don't like it posted as fact in a comment.

What about the 3 pedal selection though?
You know, some of us like to row it ourselves.

"GM has not announced any powerplant or transmission for the U.S. bound Cruze. Any mention of one at this point is speculation."

Gm has announced the turbo 1.4 engine and has made it clear its for next gen small cars. Part of the $550M investment they just announced will be for a new engine plant. The Cruze will be the first car to get this engine and this isnt speculation. Regardless of what powertrain specifics have been announced GM has said that the car will have best in class fuel economy which means it will exceed the Civic's 25/36.

"What about the 3 pedal selection though?
You know, some of us like to row it ourselves."

what small car is sold without a manual option? None that I know of so you can rest assured the Cruze will have a stick.

sheth,
Again you are reading two different press releases or stories and combining facts to come to a wrong conclusion. This is why we don't write about European powertrains. The 1.4 turbo and six-speed were announced for Europe ONLY.

Just like the Saturn Vue is based on a European vehicle and features a completely different powertrain so could the Cruze. Perhaps GM will bring these engines over. That's a possibility, but they never have before. I'm sure there will be a "new" efficient four-cylinder for the Cruze in the U.S. but GM has NOT said what it will be yet.

From GM press release previewing future programs for US market: "The next-generation compact will be pure Chevrolet in design, and will feature the 1.4-liter turbocharged version of GM's global four-cylinder engine. With this engine and a manual transmission, the new Chevy is expected to achieve a 9 mpg improvement over Chevy's current entry in this segment. The engine will be produced in Flint, Michigan, again subject to final negotiations with state and local authorities."

The European model gets essentially carryover engines: 1.6L gas, 1.8L gas, and 2.0L diesel.

Keith,
You are correct. I had to dig back to the June release you found that in. Surprising that they make no mention of it now however. I'll check with GM and update the post.

"what small car is sold without a manual option? None that I know of so you can rest assured the Cruze will have a stick"

Great, now we have some politician-like vague answers that means merely nothing at all.
Of course we know there is a damn stick shift, but how many gears are they putting in it?
Cite the source please.

J,
No information has been released on what type of manual transmission the US will get however the European model is getting a 5-speed.

I officially suck. Post is edited above. I bow to the greater knowledge of the group and me forgetting my own reporting on this back in June. Look, I'm going on vacation soon ok? I really need it.

Also they do mention it will have a manual but no word on how many gears for manual or auto. just 9 mpg better than a cobalt! Which would be over 40 mpg hwy folks.

Maybe you can get Ray Wert to help out while you take some R&R...he's really good with the strikethrough font writing style!

Me I'm stretched thin because of the blog, car reviews, videos etc. Ray is stretched thin because he's a talking head on CNBC all the time!

I'm sure it's a lot of work but what a great job to have!

I wasn't complaining!