Chevrolet Cruze from 2008 on

Manufacturer	General Motors
Also called	Daewoo Lacetti Premiere Holden Cruze
Production	2008–2016
Assembly	wordwide
Predecessor	Chevrolet Cobalt Daewoo Lacetti
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door hatchback 5-door station wagon
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	GM Delta II
Engine	1.4 L Ecotec I4 (t/c gasoline) 1.6 L Ecotec I4 (gasoline) 1.6 L Ecotec I4 (t/c gasoline) 1.8 L Ecotec I4 (gasoline) 2.0 L VCDi (VM Motori) I4 (t/c diesel) 2.0 L VCDi (GM) I4 (t/c diesel)
Transmission	5-speed manual 6-speed manual 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2,685 mm (105.7 in)
Length	4,597 mm (181.0 in) (sedan)
Width	1,788 mm (70.4 in) (sedan)
Height	1,477 mm (58.1 in) (sedan)
Related	Opel Astra (J)
Designer(s)	David Lyon

The Chevrolet Cruze is a General Motors (GM) automobile, spanning two unrelated models. Under joint venture with GM, Suzuki in Japan manufactured the original iteration, a subcompact hatchback, between 2001 and 2008.

Since 2008, the "Cruze" nameplate has referred to a globally developed, designed, and manufactured four-door compact sedan, complemented by a five-door hatchback body variant from 2011. Badged Holden Cruze in Australasia and Daewoo Lacetti Premiere (from 2008 to 2011) in South Korea, the new generation model does not serve as a replacement for its Suzuki-derived predecessor. Instead, it replaces two other compact models: the Daewoo Lacetti sold internationally under various titles, and the North American-specific Chevrolet Cobalt. GM phased out production of the Cobalt and its badge engineered counterpart, the Pontiac G5 in 2010, as the manufacturing of the Chevrolet Cruze in the United States commenced.

GM in 2008 introduced the Cruze compact car, carrying the "J300" internal designation. This J300 iteration serves as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt and Daewoo Lacetti—both unrelated cars. 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 to be built at the Elizabeth, South Australia factory from late 2011 will join 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".

Basic equipment

The basic equipment that is standard across all versions of the Chevrolet Cruze from 2008 to 2011.

Development

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. The Company said 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.

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 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.

Safety

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.

Recalls

GM announced in April 2011 that 2,100 North American-market Cruze models will 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 covers 2011 and 2012 model year Cruze sedans from September 2010 through May 2012 and affects 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. There were no cases of engine fires reported in Australia. General Motors Holden in Australia said, "...in some instances the lower air deflector could catch oil dripping from the engine if an oil change were not done properly.", " ... there was a fire danger if the oil made contact with hot engine parts."

Powertrain

Engines fitted to the Cruze are the 1.6-liter Family 1 inline-four, a 1.8-liter version of the same, and a 2.0-liter VM Motori RA 420 SOHC turbocharged common rail diesel, marketed as VCDi. All three engines are coupled to a five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission featuring Active Select.When the Cruze launched in the United States in 2010, a new 1.4-liter Family 0 turbocharged gasoline engine was introduced.North American models fitted with the 1.8-liter gasoline engine have also been upgraded to a standard six-speed manual.

In 2011, a new 2.0-liter Family Z diesel engine marketed as VCDi replaced the previous VM Motori VCDi unit of equal displacement.

Since late 2011, Chinese market models have been available with a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission