2011 Chevrolet Cruze Car News
Chevrolet unveils the U.S. production version of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. It is a global car refined for America, delivering many segment-leading features and details that challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America.
The Cruze also affirms Chevrolet’s commitment to building refined, fuel-efficient vehicles, with new, small-displacement four-cylinder engines. It is expected to deliver segment-leading fuel economy with a new Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo with variable valve timing – including up to 40 mpg on the highway with a high-efficiency model.
“Chevrolet Cruze is already a hit across Europe and Asia; and now, it’s coming to America to challenge the status quo,” said Brent Dewar, GM Vice President, Chevrolet Global brand. “Along with the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle, Cruze is the latest tangible example of how Chevrolet is working on exciting products that range from gas-friendly to gas-free.”
Leveraging Chevrolet’s design and engineering talent in Asia, Europe and North America, the Chevrolet 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.
“The amenities, quietness and roominess you expect in larger cars are what the Chevrolet Cruze delivers,” said Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet product marketing manager. “This is a car that will shake up the compact segment, with a more spacious interior and more cargo room than the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.”
Chevrolet Cruze goes on sale in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2010 but has already logged more than 4 million miles in quality and durability testing worldwide, making it one of the most real world-tested GM products prior to a U.S. launch. The U.S. and Canadian versions of the Chevrolet Cruze will be built in Lordstown, Ohio, where $350 million was invested for their production.
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
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 Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet 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
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