Chevrolet Cruze Details, Photos and Videos

The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact car that has been made by the Chevrolet division of General Motors since 2008. The nameplate has been used previously in Japan, for a version of a subcompact hatchback car produced under a joint venture with Suzuki from 2001 to 2007, and was based on the Suzuki Ignis.

Since 2009, the Cruze nameplate has designated a globally developed, designed, and manufactured four-door compact sedan—complemented by a five-door hatchback body variant (in 2010 it also replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt) from 2011, and a station wagon in 2012. The Cruze was actually released earlier in 2008 to the South Korean market under the name Daewoo Lacetti Premiere until the phasing out of the Daewoo brand in favor of Chevrolet in 2011. In Australia, the model has been on sale since 2009 as the Holden Cruze. This new generation Cruze does not serve as a replacement for the Suzuki-derived Japanese market predecessor. Instead, it replaces three other compact models: the Chevrolet Optra sold internationally under various names (such as the Suzuki Forenza in North America, Chevrolet Optra in Latin America, Chevrolet/Daewoo Lacetti in Europe and Asia), the Chevrolet Cobalt, sold exclusively in North America, and the Opel-sourced, Australia-market Holden Cruze (later returning in 2012 briefly as an Opel until the next year, and again in 2015 as a Holden).

Production of the Cruze in the United States and Mexico ended in 2019, while the car is still produced and sold in other markets worldwide.

Before the release of the global Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan in 2008, General Motors made use of the name "Cruze" between 2001 and 2008 in Japan. Announced as the Chevrolet YGM1 concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, the original Cruze was derived from the subcompact Suzuki Ignis five-door hatchback (known as the Suzuki Swift in Japan). Despite the Chevrolet branding, the YGM1, like the production car, was the work of GM's Australian arm, Holden. Along with the styling, Holden executed most of the engineering work and were responsible for devising the "Cruze" nameplate. The Cruze came either with a 1.3- or 1.5-liter engine coupled to either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.

Manufactured by Suzuki in Japan, GM revealed the production Chevrolet Cruze in October 2001, with Japanese sales commencing the following month. From 2002 through to 2006 this generation of Cruze was sold in Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand this generation Cruze was sold as the Chevrolet Cruze.

The production Cruze had standard front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional. Chevrolet pursued a marketing strategy that positioned the high-riding Cruze as a light-duty sport utility vehicle (SUV). This contrasted with Suzuki's approach with the Ignis marketed as a conventional passenger model. From 2003, Suzuki of Europe began manufacturing the Cruze as the Suzuki Ignis—representing a facelift of the original Ignis, but only for European markets.

In 2008, GM introduced the Cruze compact car, carrying the "J300" internal designation. This J300 iteration serves as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt, Daewoo Lacetti and Holden Astra—all unrelated cars. GM phased out production of the Cobalt and its badge engineered counterpart, the Pontiac G5 in 2010, just prior to the manufacturing of the Chevrolet Cruze was to commence. The first renderings of the Cruze were revealed by GM at a press conference on July 15, 2008, with the first official images released on August 21, 2008.

Cruze production sites include Gunsan, Jeonbuk, South Korea;Saint Petersburg, Russia;Shenyang, China; and Halol, India;Hanoi, Vietnam since April 2010 in complete knock-down (CKD) form,Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan from May 2010;Rayong, Thailand after December 2010, and São Caetano do Sul, Brazil from 2011. Holden's localized hatchback version of the Cruze built at the Elizabeth, South Australia factory from late 2011 joined the Cruze sedan manufactured there since March 2011. GM in the United States has upgraded the existing plant in Lordstown, Ohio to manufacture the Cruze, investing more than US$350 million. At the ceremony of the start of production of Cruze at Ohio, Mark Reuss, the president of GM's North American operations said, "This is everything for us". It is described as GM's most significant new vehicle introduction into North America since the Chapter 11 reorganization in 2009, and is GM's latest attempt to build a small size car that North American consumers would "buy because they like it – not simply because it is cheap".

Underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform, GM has confirmed the Cruze development program occurred under a global design and engineering team.GM Daewoo in South Korea played a leading role in the design and engineering of the Cruze, along with GM's German-based Opel division. This development program spanned over 27 months at a cost of US$4 billion. A total of 221 prototypes were tested in Australia, Canada, China, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to GM, the Cruze's body structure is 65 percent high-strength steel.MacPherson struts are utilized in the front suspension with a solid torsion beam axle for the rear, avoiding the cost and complexity needed for a modern multi-link independent rear suspension used by some more expensive rivals.

According to GM's global product development chief Mark Reuss, the North America version Cruze is modified from the global platform as it requires reinforcements to the engine compartment because it offers a bigger engine than in other markets and uses torsion beam suspension.

Hydraulically-assisted (electric for North American market) rack and pinion steering gives for a 10.9-meter (36 ft) turning circle. Braking-wise, ventilated front, and solid rear disc brakes are employed, both using piston steel calipers. To counteract noise, vibration, and harshness, engineers have designed the Cruze with an isolated four-point engine mount and implemented sound damping material in areas including the front-of-dashboard panel, luggage compartment, decklid internals, doors, carpet and headlining. Further noise suppression through the use of a triple-layer sealing system in the doors has also been employed.

A five-door Cruze hatchback was unveiled as a concept car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show on October 1, 2010. Cruze hatchback sales began in Europe in mid-2011. Holden in Australia were responsible for the design and development of the hatchback body variant.

GM unveiled the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon in February 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. Load space ranges from about 500 litres (20 cu ft) up to the window line in the rear, to nearly 1,500 litres (50 cu ft) up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) announced in May 2009 that it has awarded the Cruze a full five stars in their independent crash safety test, with 35.04 out of a possible 37 points. The following July, the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) awarded the Cruze a maximum five stars in their independent crash safety test. The Cruze SE 1.6-liter tested scored a maximum of 16 points in side-impact collision, 14.44 in front-end collision, and 15.73 in the 40 percent frontal offset collision.Euro NCAP released its rating in November, with the Chevrolet Cruze again receiving the full five-star grading. While the Cruze scored 96 percent for adult protection, and 84 percent for child occupant protection, Euro NCAP's figure for pedestrian protection is quoted at significantly lower 34 percent. In December 2009, the South Korean-specification Cruze—the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere—received the top rating of five stars from the Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP). According to KNCAP, the Lacetti Premiere received the five-star rating in the frontal, offset frontal, side, and whiplash tests.

In the United States, the Cruze received the highest possible ratings of "good" in front, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which has recognized the Cruze as a 2011 Top Safety Pick. Moreover, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Cruze its highest five-star rating for safety. The score is broken down into maximum five-star results for frontal impact (driver and passenger), side impact (driver and passenger), and for the side pole test (driver). The NHTSA certified the Cruze's rollover rating at four out of five stars.

GM announced in April 2011 that 2,100 North American-market Cruze models would be recalled following a report of the steering wheel breaking away from the steering column during motion. According to Consumer Reports, during its first year, the Cruze scored the lowest in reliability among compact sedans.

General Motors ordered a recall on June 22, 2012, for 413,418 Cruze models, manufactured at the Lordstown, Ohio plant United States, due to a risk of engine compartment fires. The recall covered 2011 and 2012 model year Cruze sedans from September 2010 through May 2012 and affected vehicles sold in the United States, Canada and Israel. The problem can result when liquids become trapped near the engine and catch fire. In Australia 9,547 Australian-built Cruzes were also recalled but there were no cases of engine fires reported in Australia.

General Motors (GM) ordered a recall on August 16, 2013, for 292,879 model year 2011 and 2012 Cruze models, manufactured at the Lordstown, Ohio plant United States. General Motors told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the recall was due to a potential intermittent loss of brake assist in Cruze models featuring the combination of the 1.4-liter dual overhead cam gasoline turbo engine and the 6T40 FWD automatic transmission. GM said it was aware of 27 alleged low-speed crashes due to brake issues that may include this particular issue, but it reported no injuries.To address the issue, GM said dealers will replace a micro-switch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly.

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