We’ve seen photos of the next-generation D2XX-based Cruze for China  on the auto show floor and we’ve seen a dolled-up, prepared photo of the car’s heavily upgraded interior, but we’ve yet to see photos of the car taken up close and personal. Car News China had the chance to pore over the new Cruze recently, and took some high quality photos of the car including from inside the interior and under the hood.
The car is shown in the same color scheme as we’ve seen it before, painted white with a saddle brown interior. Just as in the pre-production photos we saw, the interior appears more upscale and polished. Glossy piano black trim lends to the refined look, as does the subtle chrome trim and new 8-inch color touch screen.
The model brought to the special event was equipped with the range-topping 1.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 148 horsepower 173 lb-ft of torque. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is also available with 113 horsepower and 108 lb-ft.
Click here to see the new, in-person photos of the upcoming D2XX-based Chevrolet Cruze. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the car, which will eventually arrive in North America wearing a different front end, let us know what you think in the comments.
Comments
I disliked this car at first, felt it didn’t live up to the understated elegance of the current generation Cruze.
I was wrong. This car is very attractive, besting the Japanese, aside from Mazda 6 & smashing Ford Focus Sedan.
GM and the Korean brands have raised the stakes, the quality expected.from the so called value brands.
I hope Australia sells Cruze alongside Astra so to fully dominate the segment.
While the car is beautiful, a mini Impala, it will fare poorly in China’s “cheap mid sized family sedan” segment.
Ford using Focus (C) plus the new Escort (C/D) is a far better approach. The same for VW and Kia.
GM has more than enough platforms and models to fill the niche. I’d suggest using an older Epsilon or Delta platform to cut cost which would be easy considering the number of Excelle models.
The design doesn’t offend me, but I do find it to be nondescript (could partly be due to the white paint). The current car, while understated, is clearly identifiable as a Chevy. The Chinese 2015 Cruze reminds me of a cross between a Hyundai and the new Corolla with Civic wheels added in for good measure. The front bow tie looks way too big for the grille, too.
If you removed the badges and the chrome trim from the trunk, I’m not sure you could identify it as a Chevrolet. If that’s the plan (bland anonymity), they’ve succeeded.
Fortunately, the interior looks nice enough. The current car is nice and selling well. Hopefully they’ll improve the U.S. model and make it more distinctive so that continues.
This car will do well with the better MPG, Good Pricing and the highest quality interior in the segment. The refinement in this car will be one step over the current car due to better investment and the new platform.
As for styling this is a tough segment to make a good looking car. If you go all out for styling practicality gets pushed aside. In this segment people want good ergonomics and comfort and styling is less of a major concern.
With a smaller car it is tough to style as you have so much less to work with. Also you have to fit a roomy interior in a shorter body and wheel base.
This car is no better or worse looking than anything in class. In fact the rear view is down right attractive. The over tones of the Impala are here but you just have much less sheet metal to relay it. I think they did as well as could be expected here.
It will be a hit and number one in class in about a year of intro here.
It is possible to design a handsome C segment car, in particular because, these days, most mid sized offerings aren’t all that significantly larger.
A prime example can be found with Astra; PSA has designed a number of sexy compacts; even the Chinese Ford Escort, while simple, is good looking.
I like how this Cruze takes cues from Impala while incorporating elements of the Tru concept. This next generation lacks the boring, Teutonic styling of the current Cruze that was too VW for even VW.
We should remember that GM is now a global company and that some designs may end up looking Asian/Korean in particular. I hope the next Malibu turns out this well.
Mid size and up you have enough sheet metal to work with in the length and width of the car but the compact segment it begins to be compromised as you have a hard time working the practicalness into the car.
Also with shorter bodies it is difficult to get much in the way the body lines work or in some cases they get too many lines going in such a small area. In the Case of this car it is almost too many but it is still ok. Case in point there is one line too many on the hood. Do you really need three lines?
The Astra is one of very few that can make it work and even then it is only the 3 door hatch that is really attractive.
Show cars to make them look better are generally longer, lower and wider than most production cars. All that works at a show but on the street people still need to get in them and not hit their heads or be able to see out.
The more I see this car the more I am liking it, especially with better pics out there and other colors. My only qualm is with the front end. I personally like the Chinese version, but the one deemed “it’s American front end” by the media is growing on me. I just hope that grille opening doesn’t overwhelm it because of the size of this car and the opening being so wide. Other than that I think it’s going to be a classy little car 🙂