The five-passenger car will be about 15 feet long. GM unveiled the Cobalt in late as a model. It's been a top-selling car since its launch, selling more than , vehicles annually. Through June, amid a spike in gasoline prices, Cobalt sales are up In June alone, Cobalt sales rose Find him at hpayne detroitnews. Saturdays on AM Superstation. Facebook Twitter Email. Born of high expectations, Chevy Cruze hits the end of the line. Henry Payne The Detroit News. It actually makes the same horsepower as the non-turbo 1.
The engine's job is made tougher by the fact that like many recent General Motors offerings, the Cruze is more than a few pounds overweight.
The extra poundage hurts fuel economy--a big reason people buy cars in this category--and acceleration. The 1. And while some Cruz advertisements proclaim 42 mpg on the highway, that's only for the Cruze Eco with a stick shift--a lighter special-edition model with enhanced aerodynamics.
Both of our Cruzes are much more typical configurations than the ad-friendly Eco, and they don't deliver that type of mpg. The problem for Chevrolet is that there are a lot of other models available to buyers in this hotly contested, budget-conscious category.
As our recent road test pitting the Cruze against some competitors showed, the Chevrolet comes out mid-pack, outscored by the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic two models due to be redesigned soon and the new class-leading Hyundai Elantra. Plus, our drives of a pre-production version of the new Ford Focus left us with the impression that the Cruze will be facing some serious domestic competition, as well.
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. Precision is also seen in the Cruze's build quality.
The Lordstown assembly plant's body shop was retooled with the latest in body-framing and welding equipment to optimize the manufacture of a very solid body structure. That strong structure fosters minimal production variance and repeatable gap tolerances of 3 mm or less between most exterior panels.
To the customer, this means a better looking car when new and one that feels solid for years to come. 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.
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