2016 Chevrolet Cruze Gets Lighter, Faster, Diesel-Powered
DETROIT -- Chevy decided to try and be cute by announcing the 2016 Cruze in anall-emoji press release. But, since we don't speak in iconography, we're glad to now have the full details on Chevy's compact sedan, which has rapidly become Chevy's most popular car worldwide, selling some 3.5 million units around the globe.The new car is 3 inches longer than before, yet weighs a whopping 250 pounds less. This lightness helps with efficiency, but also should deliver handling that's more crisp. Legroom, we're told, is significantly improved.The styling is completely new, sharing Chevy's latest corporate visage and looking an awful lot like the recently revealed Malibu. That's a good thing in our eyes.
Powering the new Cruze is a trio of options, starting with a 1.5-liter non-turbocharged engine, that will make a mere 113 horsepower. The next step up will actually be a smaller motor, a 1.4-liter turbocharged choice that will put out a rather more respectable 153 horsepower, while still delivering an estimated 40mpg when paired with an automatic transmission. (A manual will also be offered.) Stop/start will be standard, but sadly there's no hybrid system as of yet.
Finally there will be a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel, an engine Chevrolet has deployed in Europe, but never before in the Cruze, and never before on American shores. Chevy reps wouldn't confirm power or mileage estimates, other than their expectation that it will be the highest-MPG non-hybrid car on the market in the US.Inside, the Cruze will support both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto through the company's MyLink system, and of course connectivity with GM's OnStar will be on tap.
Chevrolet hasn't announced any pricing for the car just yet, but it is expected to go on sale in the US at least in early 2016. Those hoping for a diesel, however, will have to wait a little longer, until 2017.