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Fuel-Efficient Chevrolet Cruze Compact Sedan Makes Its Canadian Debut At The Montreal International Auto Show

Posted on 15. Jan, 2010 by webmestre in Canada, North America

Fuel-Efficient Chevrolet Cruze Compact Sedan Makes Its Canadian Debut At The Montreal International Auto Show

2011 Chevrolet Cruze changes the rules for Compact Cars:

o Expected segment-best fuel economy – as low as 5.0 L/100km highway – with high-efficiency model
o New family of small-displacement engines, including Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo
o Cruze brings Midsize Car presence to the Compact Car class
o Greater interior and cargo room than Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla
o Ten standard air bags – designed to provide segment leading safety
o Engineered to the highest quality and durability standards
o Progressive design, exceptional refinement, quietness and ride & handling
o Popular global car refined for Canada – Goes on sale in third quarter of 2010
o Five-year/160,000-km powertain warranty – the best coverage in Canada

MONTREAL, Quebec (January 14, 2010) – Chevrolet today unveiled the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan at the Montreal International Auto Show. It is a global car refined for Canada, delivering many segment-leading features and details aimed to exceed expectations of Canadian compact car buyers.

The refined, fuel-efficient Cruze features two new, small-displacement four-cylinder engines – a 1.8 L and a 1.4 L turbo.  The Cruze equipped with the 1.4L turbo is expected to deliver segment-leading fuel economy, including up to 5.0 L/100km on the highway with a high-efficiency model.

“With each successive new vehicle it launches, Chevrolet is connecting with Canadians thanks to a compelling combination of fuel-efficiency, style, driving character and generous amenities,” said Marc Comeau, vice president of Chevrolet in Canada.  “Recent launch vehicles like the Chevrolet Traverse, Camaro and Equinox have each struck a note with consumers and have enjoyed strong sales success – a pattern Chevrolet plans to repeat in Canada’s compact car segment with the all-new 2011 Cruze, which will be packaged to exceed expectations.”

Combining Chevrolet’s design and engineering talent in Asia, Europe and North America, the Cruze brings to market a progressive, globally influenced design complemented by exceptional levels of quietness, quality and attention to detail – from precise tolerances between body panels to the use of premium materials throughout the interior.

Delivering the amenities, quietness and roominess you expect in larger cars, including a more spacious interior with more cargo room than the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Cruze  is designed to shake up the compact segment.

Cruze goes on sale in Canada in the third quarter of 2010 but has already logged more than 6 million kilometres in quality and durability testing worldwide, making it one of the most real- world-tested GM products prior to a Canadian launch.

More than expected

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze will be offered in LS, LT and LTZ trims. Standard and available equipment includes:

* New family of efficient four-cylinder engines, including a 1.4L turbo and 1.8L
* Six-speed automatic and manual transmissions
* Ten standard air bags, including frontal, side-impact, roof rail head curtain, rear seat side air bags and new knee air bags
* Electronic stability control with rollover sensing
* Bluetooth, USB connectivity and navigation system
* XM Satellite Radio and OnStar
* MacPherson strut front suspension and Watts Z-link rear suspension, with a family of 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheels
* Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes
* Fuel-saving, rack-mounted electric power steering
* Unexpected levels of quietness, smoothness and refinement for the segment

All models share an interior characterized by premium materials and a lengthy roster of unexpected equipment, including leading infotainment. A stereo system that includes MP3 playback capability, six speakers and an auxiliary jack for personal playback devices is standard. A premium Pioneer sound system is available, as is a USB port for iPod operation. Other available technologies include Bluetooth and a navigation system.

Arching roofline

Chevy Cruze’s design is distinguished with a bold face – including a two-tier grille with the iconic Bowtie logo – that is Chevrolet’s signature look around the globe. An arching roofline connects a steeply raked windshield and fast-sloping rear pillars to give the car a sporty, coupe-like proportion.

The sporty aesthetic is also seen in prominent headlamp housings that wrap around the corners and sweep upward in the fenders and sculpted hood, as well as a short rear deck typically found on sports coupes. The wheels are at the corners, too, with minimal front and rear overhangs. All the elements work cohesively to give Cruze an aggressive look that is complemented by a wide, confident stance.

Indeed, the Cruze is wider and longer than most of its competitors. Taut, tightly drawn bodywork conveys solidity, while restrained use of exterior trim enhances the car’s high-quality feel. The overall appearance is one of purposeful precision.

Interior refinement

Cruze’s bold design cues and attention to detail carry over to the interior, where a Corvette-inspired twin-cockpit motif is matched with high-quality materials and exceptional assembly tolerances. Grained, soft-touch components and low-gloss trim panels exude a quality that is uncommon in the segment.

The instrument panel is an excellent example of how Cruze eschews expectations of compact cars. It features richly detailed instruments that are backlit with light-emitting diode (LED) technology. The LED lights provide a crisp, ice-blue illumination of the analog instruments, as well as lighting for other interior controls. A segment-rare standard driver information center offers a wealth of data for the vehicle owner.

Blending harmoniously with the instrument panels is an integrated centre stack that houses the infotainment display, climate controls and radio controls. Flush-mounted components within the centre stack have a gap tolerance of less than 1 mm, while the instrument panel-to-door panel gaps are less than 5 mm. Those tolerances are among the best in the class and contribute significantly to the Cruze’s aura of refinement and precision.

Cruze’s headliner and pillar trim exude craftsmanship, too. The headliner cover is made of a knit material that also serves as one of five layers of an acoustically designed headliner to help make the passenger compartment quieter. The interior pillar and other moldings are colour- and grain-matched to the headliner, while seat inserts are colour-matched to the colour of the instrument panel accent trim, giving the cabin the detailed appearance of larger, upscale sedans.

New, efficient powertrains

Enhanced with its exhaust-driven turbocharger, the Cruze’s Ecotec 1.4L turbo performs like a larger engine when needed, but retains the efficiency of a small-displacement four-cylinder in most driving conditions. It is standard on LT and LTZ models, with power ratings estimated at 138 horsepower (103 kW) and 148 lb.-ft. of torque (200 Nm).

Standard on LS models is an Ecotec 1.8L four-cylinder that has the same basic architecture as the 1.4L turbo. Both engines are part of GM’s family of global small-displacement engines designed with fuel efficiency in mind, including technology such as full variable valve timing that optimizes performance and fuel economy across the rpm band.

Backing the Cruze’s new four-cylinder engines are six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Each contributes to Cruze’s excellent fuel economy and, with their carefully matched gears, enhances its fun-to-drive quotient.

With the Ecotec 1.4L turbo, Cruze’s fuel efficiency enables a cruising range of more than 800 kilometres (500 miles), meaning it can go longer between fill-ups.

Cruze is backed by GM’s five-year/160,000-km powertrain warranty – the best coverage in Canada.

Responsive, quiet driving experience

Complementing Cruze’s new powertrains is a strong body structure and chassis system designed to deliver a responsive and fun driving experience. The body structure is tight and stiff; and its solidity enabled engineers to more precisely tune the chassis for comfort and driving control.

A MacPherson strut suspension is used up front, while a technically advanced Watts Z-link design is used with the rear suspension. It helps center the rear axle during cornering, helping to keep the Cruze’s handling responses symmetrical on both left-hand and right-hand turns. The linkage’s capability to center the axle during cornering delivers a more balanced driving experience, as the rear suspension better follows the lead of the front suspension.

StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, as well as traction control and anti-lock brakes are standard. Electric power steering is also standard on all models. It helps save fuel because it removes the conventional power steering pump from the engine’s driven accessories. Sixteen-inch wheels are standard on LS and LT models, with 17-inch alloy wheels standard on LTZ. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are available on 2LT and LTZ models.

Along with a responsive driving experience, the Cruze delivers quietness and refinement on the road. Hydraulic ride bushings and an isolated engine cradle reduce or eliminate vibration pathways that could be transmitted to the passenger compartment. Similarly, a number of noise-reducing and noise-cancelling technologies are employed throughout the body structure, including 18 distinctive acoustical treatments. Examples include:

* The steel front-of-dash panel is sandwiched between two damping mats
* Nylon baffles are used in various hollow portions of the body structure and filled with sound-absorbing foam that expands when the body enters the paint oven
* The headliner comprises five layers of thermal fiber acoustic material, including a premium woven fabric on the visible outer layer
* Patches of sound-damping material are applied strategically throughout the body structure and melt into place when the body passes through the paint oven, allowing the patches to follow the contours of the sheet metal below
* Sound insulation material between rear-body structural components that is made from recycled blue jean material
* The doors have triple seals and feature fiberglass “blankets” that serve as water, airflow and noise barriers. The doors are also beta-braced, meaning they close with a solid, precise sound and no resonance.

Source GM

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Tags: 2010 Montréal International Auto Show, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Cruze, MIAS 2010