The General Motors Co. Chevrolet Cruze vehicle is unveiled during an event at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., on Wednesday, June 24, 2015.Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg
The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is sleeker, lighter, roomier, more powerful, more comfortable and more tech-friendly, says General Motors. How good? It will break through the compact clutter to become one of the three best-selling cars in Canada, argues GM of Canada's top sales boss.
John Roth, vice-president for sales, service and marketing, believes the second-generation Cruze is strong enough to unseat at least one if not two of the four compact cars which have shuffled positions at the top of Canada's sales charts seemingly forever.
So which cars might be run over by the Cruze?
The Honda Civic, Canada's best-seller for 17 years, will also get a total remake for 2016 and given it's also manufactured in Canada seems unlikely to be toppled from the very top. The Hyundai Elantra, also due for a major makeover for 2016, has been a presence at the No. 2 spot for many years and Hyundai Canada has shown a willingness to defend its turf with rich sales incentives. Not likely to bow to a new Cruze, either.
That leaves the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. Which one will the new Cruze push aside? Perhaps both, hinted GM Canada officials.
Last year the Cruze finished as Canada's No. 5 most popular car, with sales up 3.7 per cent at 34,421, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. In the United States, however, the Cruze was No. 3 with sales of 273,060, trailing only the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.
Roth said the Cruze will break new sales ground and at least match the car's performance in the U.S. despite the fact GM will continue to offer the Cruze only as a sedan. For now.
However, GM product czar Mark Reuss hinted that a hatchback and perhaps even a wagon might be in the offering down the Cruze line. On hand at the car's global unveiling in the historic Fillmore Detroit, Reuss did not discourage speculation about additional body styles the likes of which are popular in many global markets outside the U.S. When asked, he just smiled and reminded his questioner that he's a big fan of wagons and hatchbacks.
Timing? A mid-cycle upgrade at around 2018 would make sense for at least a hatch, though Reuss and other company types declined specifics. GM insiders suggested the company may use an approach similar to Hyundai, which first brought the Elantra to market as a sedan, and later expanded the range with a hatchback known as the Elantra GT.
GM is putting all its muscle behind the new Cruze. All the company's most senior executives were on hand for the global unveiling at the Fillmore, opened in 1925 and known for most of its history as the State Theatre. The Fillmore was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Chevy has sold more than 3.5 million Cruze cars since the 2008 debut. The 2016 version was unveiled by GM CEO Mary Barra who underscored GM's commitment to a renewed effort to juice global sales at Chevy with five new models unveiled this year, all 2016 cars – the Cruze, the Volt, the Spark, the Malibu and the Camaro.
About one of every two GM models sold in the world is a Chevy. Chevy's global chief Alan Batey said that Chevy, with nearly five million cars sold last year, is the No. 4 car brand in the world. A Chevy is sold somewhere in 115 countries every seven seconds.
Barra, a former product chief at GM, said you can take the measure of a car company by the excellence of its less expensive, high volume models. The Cruze in Canada starts at around $16,000.
"Being able to make the car not only lighter and more fuel efficient but bigger shows the consumer the technical capability of the automaker," she said. "It says 'We're going to continue to give you a better product and things you don't expect.'"
Reuss, a one-time head of GM's performance cars, said the lighter Cruze will be more agile and more dynamic to drive. The car has lost 113 kg versus the current model despite offering considerably more cabin room, especially for back seat passengers. GM says the rear seats are roomier than what you get in a Ford Focus or Hyundai Elantra.
The standard engine globally will be a 1.4-litre turbo four with direct injection (153 horsepower). GM says fuel economy is estimated at 5.9 L/100km on the highway and city fuel economy will benefit from standard stop/start technology and an available six-speed automatic gearbox.
The new body design has a drag coefficient of 0.29, which puts it in sports car territory. The look is hardly ground-breaking and shares common design cues with all the new Chevys.
If nothing else, the five new models for this year mean your typical Chevy showroom is no longer a confusing hodge-podge. There is now a styling continuity at Chevy that has long been missing.
Reuss was also quick to point out that this Cruze will be equipped with features aimed at tech-savvy younger buyers. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability will be available for customers. Cruze owners will be able to integrate their apps with Chevrolet MyLink.
Safety features will include a hose of active driving nannies from Side Blind Zone Alert to Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert. Heated seats will be standard on the LT model in Canada when the car hits showrooms early in 2016.
A diesel version follows in 2017. Bet on the hatchback after that.
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