Filed under: Sedan, China, Chevrolet, Beijing Motor Show
Chevrolet may have just introduced a slight styling refresh and new tech for the North American Cruze at the New York Auto Show, but Shanghai GM, General Motor's Chinese joint venture partner, has gone a step further, unveiling an all-new generation of the popular compact at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.
The Chinese-market Cruze has sleeker frontal styling with inspiration from the Chevy Tru 140S Concept. The headlights are more pointed and dip down into the two-tier grille. Overall, the sedan has more aggressive lines and a coupe-like roofline. Power for the new version is provided by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder or 1.4-liter, direct-injected turbocharged four, and Chinese buyers can choose among a seven-speed dual-clutch, six-speed manual or six-speed automated manual as gearbox options. GM Shanghai claims the latest model is good for a 14-21 percent improvement in fuel economy.
Chevy authorities in China tell Autoblog that North American customers will eventually get a new model based on this architecture, but it won't look exactly like what you see here - in fact, it will almost certainly ride on a longer wheelbase, among other changes.
Why introduce the model in Beijing? The Cruze has been a hot seller in China for years - GM has sold over one million units in the market - and the model has been on sale in the Middle Kingdom significantly longer than it has been available in North America. What's more, the C-segment cars like the Cruze are China's most popular vehicle type, enjoying nearly 50 percent marketshare. Said another way, China's due for a new generation.
Scroll down for the more details in the press release.
Continue reading Beijing first to see next-gen Chevy Cruze
Beijing first to see next-gen Chevy Cruze originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2014 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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