Photo gallery: 2011 (?) Chevrolet Cruze
General Motors has released the first three official photographs of the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan. The Cruze will go on sale in Europe in March 2009; power choices will include 1.6 and 1.8 liter gasoline engines (112 and 140 horsepower respectively) and a 150 hp two-liter turbodiesel. GM still hasn't announced when the Cruze will go on sale in the US; the expectation is that it will come to the States in 2010 as a 2011 model and will replace the Cobalt.
Analysis: Well, it sure is a good-looking car, and I'm sure it will drive well, too. But the Cobalt was (is) a pretty decent car, and how much respect does it get? None. Zippo. Zilch. So will another name change and another restyling help Chevy's compact? I doubt it -- the problem here isn't the car, it's the public's perception. That said, maybe a few years of good experiences with the new Malibu will help matters.
Anyway -- check out the photos in my 2011 (?) Chevrolet Cruze photo gallery. -- Aaron Gold
Comments
The Cobalt is OK, unfortunately for GM, OK isn’t good enough except for rental fleets.
I hope the Cruz is a fun to drive, inspiring small car. The Malibu is evidence that GM can make competitive cars.
The Cruz needs to lose the front end, it looks like it belongs on a bigger car, making the Cruz look like a 5 year old girl dressed up in her mothers clothes.
The name “Cruz” also reminds me of a well known US actor cult member.
A two liter turbodiesel is something that may draw more attention than a reformulated Cobalt with a Malibu face. If its release can be accelerated before a bunch of other small diesels hit the street, GM may look like a leader. Judging by the speed that they’re releasing the Camaro, they’ll probably get this car out just in time to another also-ran in a long list of other diesel releases. GM is too big and too plodding.
Dare I say… this looks quite good. I really do not like the Malibu, but this I like. The lines work here, and the front end isn’t too overdone. What happened to GM’s 1.4 Litre 150HP gasline turbo that supposedly gets 40 mpg’s? It is supposed to be the cornerstone of the Cruze’s U.S. appeal. I’d like to see this in SS mode as well. The track looks more stable and wider than a cobalt. GM is making some good moves.
I hope that they make the Cruz in a 5-door liftback model.
It is a very sharp looking car. Much better looking than anything coming out of Japan (IMO). Only questionable part is the Banglesque looking rearend.
With diesel prices approximately 45 to 50 cents more per gallon ( here in Arizona ) than regular unleaded, the manufacturers might struggle convincing the public of the benefits
The rear quarter view looks very good. The front end is a tad overdone for my tastes, but I can see how others may differ. The real test will be in the driving dynamics. If some of the Malibu rubs off on this thing, if the accountants don’t cheap out the interior, and if it isn’t already too late for The General, then this car may be a winner.
If done properly, a wagon version of this thing’d be pretty cool. If they just tack on a third box without properly flowing it into the rest of the car, fugheadaboudit.
Jeff said
Jeff said
Only questionable part is the Banglesque looking rearend.
The Banglesque rear end doesn’t bother me, the Pimpesque front end does. I could even get past that though if GM is able to get the diesel US approved without ruining it.
A few of the earlier comments actually hinted at what I’m about to say. Although this isn’t a bad looking car, it suffers from a malady that aflicts most of the auto industry. That afliction is the “corporate fascia/grille.” Although this concept works fine for some Makes (Jeep, BMW, etc), it doesn’t work for everyone. There are several cars out there that I won’t even consider. Lexus is one of them. Although they are fine cars, they all look pretty much exactly alike.
The last thing that Chevrolet needs right now is to continue their longstanding image of “generic” cars. The manufacturers put their logo emblem and model name on their vehicles for a reason…….to identify them! Few if any vehicles in most manufacturer’s lines actually share any common body panels, so there is really no cost benefit to making one model look like a smaller version of the larger. To me, all this demonstrates is a lack of creativity by the designers.
Banglesque indeed. But what’s wrong with that? Chris Bangle was roundly criticized for his innovative? work at BMW. People don’t like cars that look all the same and it’s fair to say that his designs looked little like the conventions of the day. Today, our most common and popular cars (Toyota Camry and Honda Accord) use design cues drawn heavily from Bangle’s work. So the crazy man begins to look more like a visionary as his design language is adopted and purchased by untold numbers of consumers. To criticize it now is a bit behind the curve. The sincerest flattery has already been applied. In fact, until it was mentioned, I really didn’t notice the Bangle influence on the Cruze’s tail. But that is merely because it has become so common. Perhaps the time has come once again for Mr. Bangle to scandalize us with his genius.
P.S. I like this car. To me, its design looks balanced and clean. I’d like to see it in silver with say 17″ wheels to give the lower half of the car more visual heft.