Chevrolet completely overhauls (redesigns and re-engineers) the Cruze compact car range for the 2016 model year, delivering an all-new vehicle with improvements in fuel economy, connectivity, safety, and overall refinement.
“The 2016 Cruze builds on a very successful program that introduced Chevrolet to new customers the world over,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America. “We retained all the attributes that made the original Cruze a hit around the globe and built on them to make this car more sophisticated, more fun and more Chevrolet.”
The 2016 Cruze is an all-new vehicle representing the second generation of the Cruze nameplate.
While the first-generation Cruze is regarded as a very good mainstream compact car, Chevrolet is looking to grow its presence in the segment with this new model.
The 2016 Chevy Cruze model aims to bring refinement to the Cruze nameplate while addressing the issues widely recognized as weak points of the first-gen model, including the vehicle’s (rather-unnecessarily) hefty curb weight.
What
A more refined and more technologically-advanced Cruze that is more modern inside and out.
Why
To further make Chevrolet a leader in the compact car space and increase its share of the mainstream compact passenger car segment.
When
The 2016 Cruze was unveiled in June 2015 and will go on sale in the United States in the spring of 2016.
Highlights of the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze include:
- Next-generation Chevrolet MyLink with smartphone integration capability, including a standard seven-inch-diagonal screen and available eight-inch-diagonal screen (at launch, eight-inch screen only with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto coming later)
- New 1.4L turbo engine with direct injection and stop/start technology matched with a standard six-speed manual or available six-speed automatic transmission (North American market)
- Maximum highway range of 530 miles per tank All-new, stronger and lighter body structure enhances agility, efficiency and safety — with an approximately 250-pound (113 kg) lower curb weight
- Class-leading 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase enhances roominess, contributing to greater rear-seat legroom and more rear knee room
- Projector headlamps with light-emitting diode (LED) signature lighting and LED daytime running lamps on uplevel models
- More standard features than most competitors’ small cars such as 10 air bags, four-wheel disc brakes, rearview camera and available OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot
- New available features including wireless phone charging, heated rear leather seats plus heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Available advanced safety features include Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert
- New model range for North America includes L, LS, LT and Premier trim levels, and a more expressive RS package
“The new Cruze is truly one of Chevrolet’s most global vehicles,” said Batey. “With content variations dictated mostly by local market demands, customers in every corner of the globe will enjoy the same fundamental dynamics that are making Chevrolet one of the fastest-growing brands around the world.”
The 2016 Chevy Cruze features a design that balances expressive style with the efficiency-optimizing input of wind tunnel testing. The design leverages the aero experience of vehicles of the all-new 2016 Chevy Volt, with which the new Cruze shares its D2XX platform. The result is one of the sleekest-looking cars in the class, with a 0.29 coefficient of drag – an attribute that contributes directly to a GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway.
Proportionally, the new second-generation Cruze is 2.7 inches (68 mm) longer and nearly an inch (25 mm) shorter in height than the first-generation model, giving it a longer and leaner appearance. A faster windshield rake and a faster-sloping rear profile lend a sportier look to the design, while the rear profile culminates in a standard integral rear spoiler that contributes to the car’s aero efficiency.
The sleek profile is complemented by detailed, layered line work in the hood and body-side panels, contributing to an overall impression of muscularity – with an athletic stance enhanced by a longer wheelbase.
“With styling influenced by the acclaimed 2014 Impala and all new Malibu, the 2016 Cruze brings Chevrolet’s new, expressive global design language to the small car segment,” said John Cafaro, executive director, Chevrolet Design. “The Cruze’s approach to proportion and premium details adds to Chevrolet’s elevation of craftsmanship, content, quality and a fresh interpretation of an identity that is unmistakably Chevrolet in every market around the world.”
In the front, the headlamps sweep back into the front fenders and an expressive, stacked dual-port grille design offers upscale attention to detail. LT and Premier models feature premium forward lighting systems, including projector-beam headlamps and LED signature daytime running lamps.
Additional design details include:
- The center-rear stop lamp is mounted at the top of the roof line for a more refined appearance
- Seamless rocker panels convey upscale attention to detail and contribute to aerodynamic performance
- Polished aluminum, piano black and bright-finished accents provide a more contemporary, upscale aura to the design
- The RS package includes unique grilles, front and rear fascias, fog lamps, front splitter, rocker panels, rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels on the Premier model
The 2016 Cruze’s interior offers greater spaciousness and technology designed to be more comfortable and a better connected environment for the driver and passengers.
Facilitated by the increased wheelbase of the new model, the greater spaciousness includes more rear legroom (36.1 inches / 917 mm) and two inches (51 mm) more rear knee room – more than Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. Beyond the quantifiable elements, the new Cruze features greater perceptual spaciousness thanks to flowing line work in the instrument panel, which blends almost seamlessly with the front door panels.
Like the exterior, the Cruze’s interior – and the instrument panel in particular – feature lean, muscular and layered surfaces built around Chevrolet’s signature dual-cockpit theme. It’s a thoroughly modern design that emphasizes human-technology interaction through the prominent, standard MyLink screen in the “center stack.”
A mixture of accents, from piano black and matte black finishes to bright trim, along with more premium features such as available heated rear leather seats and wireless phone charging, complement the cabin with an upscale ambience generally reserved for midsize sedans – but one that is becoming increasingly important to customers around the globe who want premium amenities in smaller vehicles.
Additional interior features and amenities of the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze include:
- Unique center console design for North America with specific user interface details such as a repositioned shifter, more intuitive positioning of the cup holders and enhanced storage
- More soft-touch surfaces and animal-grained, micro-etched surfacing that enhance the premium look and feel of the interior, as well as premium fabrics with French stitching, distinctive for its contrasting stitch colors.
- Available premium leather
- 4.2-inch-diagonal high-resolution driver information center in the gauge cluster
- Premium features consist of heated front cloth seats, heated rear leather-trimmed seats, and heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel
The 2016 Chevy Cruze features various advanced in-vehicle technologies that allow for a more connected and safer driving experience.
The technology experience starts with the all-new Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, which enables simple and intuitive use of smartphones in the vehicle. The system integrates certain phone functions onto the Cruze’s seven-inch-diagonal color touchscreen, allowing them to call up music, navigation apps and more. An uplevel MyLink radio with an eight-inch display and navigation is available and also incorporates Apple CarPlay.
Apple CarPlay takes the iPhone features owners want to access while driving and puts them on the vehicle’s display in a smart and simple manner. This allows drivers to make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. Apple CarPlay-supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and compatible third-party apps.
Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as a growing audio and messaging app ecosystem that includes WhatsApp, Skype, Google Play Music, Spotify and podcast players.
Using both applications is simple. A “Projection” icon on the MyLink screen is visible when a phone is not connected, then changes to indicate CarPlay or Android Auto when a compatible phone is connected via USB.
Complementing MyLink to enhance the Cruze’s connectivity is OnStar with 4G LTE and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. The OnStar services come have a complimentary six-month trial period, while the 4G LTE-based Wi-Fi has a 3-month or 3-gigabyte trial, whichever comes first.
The 2016 Cruze uses GM’s new D2XX platform which succeeds the Delta 2 platform and Theta platform.
Other vehicles using the D2XX platform include:
- 2016 Chevy Volt (and newer)
- 2016 Opel Astra K (and newer)
- 2017 Chevrolet Equinox (and newer)
- 2017 GMC Terrain (and newer)
- 2017 Opel-Vauxhall Antara (and newer)
- 2016 Buick Envision (and newer)
Engines
Gasoline
In North America, the 2016 Cruze is driven by an all-new, standard 1.4L turbocharged engine derived from GM’s new family of small gasoline engines. It features direct injection and stop/start technology that helps enhance efficiency in stop-and-go driving.
The new 1.4L turbo is SAE-certified at 153 horsepower (113 kW) and 177 pound-feet of torque (240 Nm). With more torque than the current Cruze’s 1.4L turbo and a lighter architecture, the new turbocharged engine is expected to deliver a segment-best 0-60 performance of 8 seconds. That makes the new Cruze quicker than most competitors, while also beating most of them at the gas pump, with a GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway with automatic transmission.
The new 1.4L turbo features an aluminum cylinder block and head, which helps reduce the Cruze’s overall weight to enhance performance and efficiency. Engine efficiency is also enhanced through reduced friction, including low-friction piston rings, a low-friction camshaft drive, and a low-friction oil pump.
The start/stop feature automatically shuts down the engine when the car comes to a stop under certain driving conditions, such as a stoplight. The engine automatically restarts when the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.
Diesel
In addition, Chevrolet will introduce a new Cruze diesel model for U.S. customers in 2017.
Transmissions
The 2016 Chevy Cruze offers six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmissions.
An all-new, more rigid and lighter architecture, known as the D2XX platform, is the 2016 Cruze’s foundation for driving dynamism, while also playing significant roles in safety and efficiency. It is constructed of about 8 percent hot-stamped/high-strength steels, which contributes to an approximately 27-percent stiffer body structure that is also 53 pounds (24 kg) lighter than the current Cruze.
The lighter structure is also larger than the current model, with the new Cruze’s 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase stretching nearly an inch longer, while supporting front and rear suspensions with wide tracks (60.8-inch front/61.3-inch rear). Aluminum is used strategically in the suspension systems to optimize weight and handling characteristics.
“The Cruze’s chassis system is perhaps the most mass-efficient in the segment,” said Ron Arnesen, executive chief engineer. “It is at the core of the car’s dynamic driving character, which is designed to deliver fun with an enhanced feeling of connectivity.”
Additionally, the new, more rigid architecture is the primary enabler for exceptional chassis tuning, enabling more nimble and direct steering and handling attributes that foster driving confidence through precision. The longer wheelbase and wide front and rear tracks further contribute to a lower, wide “footprint,” which enhances agility and the feeling of control.
Additional features of the 2016 Cruze’s chassis include:
- A proven MacPherson strut front suspension design with specially tuned bushings and geometry intended to balance handling with comfort
- A torsion beam rear axle on L, LS and LT models; and an enhanced Z-link design on Premier, helping deliver a more balanced driving experience as the rear suspension better follows the lead of the front suspension
- Rack-mounted electric power steering is standard on all models, enhancing efficiency because it removes the conventional power steering pump from the engine’s driven accessories
- Four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife longer-life rotors are standard on all models
- StabiliTrak electronic stability control, with traction control, rollover mitigation and anti-lock brakes, is standard
- Wheel sizes ranging from 15 to 18 inches
The 2016 Cruze’s safety story begins with the new, stronger body structure that incorporates high-strength steel in key areas to enhance strength and crash protection by helping to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.
Cruze also returns with a segment-leading 10 standard air bags, including frontal driver and passenger air bags, roof rail-mounted head curtain side air bags that help protect the front and outboard rear seating positions; seat-mounted side-impact air bags (front and rear); and front knee air bags.
Available safety features include an expanded range of crash-avoidance technologies, including Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert.
Additional safety features of the 2016 Chevy Cruze include:
- Front passenger seat occupant sensing system and rollover sensing and protection system
- Collapsible pedal assembly to help protect against lower-extremity injuries
- Three-point safety belts in all five seating positions, safety belt retractor pretensioners and lap pretensioners in the driver and front-passenger positions, and safety belt load limiters (with pretensioners) in the front safety belt retractors
- LATCH child seat latching system in the rear seat
- Tire pressure monitoring system, daytime running lamps
- Automatic headlamps
The second-generation Chevy Cruze is expected to be 100-200 pounds (45-90 kg) lighter than the first-generation model.
Chevy has yet to reveal the official weight of the new model, but it does say that the vehicle is “constructed of about 8 percent hot-stamped/high-strength steels, contributing to an approximately 27 percent stiffer body structure that is also 53 pounds (24 kg) lighter than the current Cruze.”
This section coming soon.
In the United States, we expect the 2016 Chevy Cruze to carry a starting price in the $16,000 range and be configurable into the high $20,000 range for the new Premium trim level.
Chevrolet unveiled the all-new, 2016 Cruze on June 24th, 2015.
For the North American market, the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze will be built at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant, with locally- and globally-sourced components. The plant received a $50-million investment in tooling and other enhancements to support production of the new Cruze.
The second-generation Chevy Cruze will be available globally in markets in which Chevrolet currently competes. The vehicle will have slight market variations.
In the United States, the 2016 Chevy Cruze became available in early 2016.
The 2016 Chevy Cruze will be available as a four-door sedan.
Though unconfirmed by GM officially, reports indicate that a five-door hatchback variant of the new Cruze will become available in North America at the same time as the new Cruze sedan.
A five-door wagon variant is possible for select global markets.
The 2016 Chevy Cruze will be available in the following trim levels:
- L
- LS
- LT
- Premier
The new Premier model replaces LTZ as the range-topping trim.
Enabled by a lighter architecture and new 1.4L turbocharged engine, the new Cruze is expected to deliver a segment-best 0-60 performance of 8 seconds.
That makes the new Cruze quicker than most competitors, while also beating most of them at the gas pump, with a GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway with automatic transmission.
According to Chevrolet, the 2016 Cruze offers an EPA-estimated 40 MPG highway.
The Cruze continues to compete in the mainstream compact car segment against the:
- Toyota Corolla
- Honda Civic
- Nissan Sentra
- Hyundai Elantra
- Kia Forte
- Ford Focus
- Volkswagen Jetta (Cruze Sedan) and Golf (Cruze Hatchback)
- Mazda 3
- Subaru Impreza
- Mitsubishi Lancer
- Dodge Dart
General Motors will continue manufacturing and selling the first-generation, Delta-platformed Chevy Cruze for the 2016 model year as the Cruze Limited. The vehicle will be available exclusively to fleet customers.
The following specifications are preliminary.
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Overview
| Model: | 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Sedan |
| Trim levels: | L, LS, LT, Premier |
| Body style / driveline: | four-door, 5-passenger front-engine transaxle; front-wheel-drive compact car |
| Construction: | steel body frame integral (unibody) with front and rear crumple zones; galvanized steel front fenders, hood, roof, door panels, one-piece bodyside outer panel, thermal plastic olefin (TPO) bumper fascias |
| EPA vehicle class: | compact car |
| Manufacturing location: | Lordstown, Ohio (U.S. market) |
| Key competitors: | Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Volkswagen Jetta, Dodge Dart, Subaru Impreza, Mazda3 |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Engine
| Type: | 1.4L turbo DOHC I-4 |
| Displacement (cu in / cc): | 85 / 1399 |
| Bore & stroke (in / mm): | 2.91 x 3.20 / 74 x 81.3 |
| Block material: | cast aluminum |
| Cylinder head material: | cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | overhead camshafts, four-valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing |
| Ignition system: | individual coil on plug |
| Fuel delivery: | direct injection with electronic throttle control |
| Compression ratio: | 10:1 |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): | 153 / 113 @ 5600 – SAE certified |
| Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm @ rpm): | 177 / 240 @ 2000-4000 – SAE certified |
| Recommended fuel: | regular unleaded |
| Emissions controls: | close-coupled and underfloor catalytic converters; Quick-Sync 58x ignition system; returnless fuel rail; fast light-off O2 sensor |
| Fuel economy: | 40 mpg highway (GM-estimated) |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Transmissions
| Gear ratios: (:1) | ||
| First: | 4.27 | 4.58 |
| Second: | 2.53 | 2.96 |
| Third: | 1.47 | 1.91 |
| Fourth | 1.07 | 1.44 |
| Fifth: | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Sixth: | 0.74 | 0.74 |
| Reverse: | 3.82 | 2.94 |
| Final drive ratio: | 3.83 | 3.53 |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Suspension
| Front suspension: | independent, MacPherson strut-type with side-loaded strut modules, specifically tuned coil springs, direct-acting stabilizer bar (hollow); hydraulic ride bushings | |
| Rear suspension (L, LS, LT): | compound crank (torsion beam) with double-walled, U-shaped profile at the rear | |
| Rear suspension (Premier): | Z-link | |
| Steering type: | rack-mounted electric power steering | |
| Steering ratio (L, LS, LT): | 17.2:1 | |
| Steering ratio (Premier): | 16:1 | |
| Steering wheel turns, lock-to-lock: | TBD | |
| Turning circle (ft / m): | 34.4 / 10.5 |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Wheels & Tires
| Wheel size and type (standard on L and LS): | 15-inch steel |
| Wheel size and type (standard on LT): | 16-inch alloy |
| Wheel size and type (available on LT and standard on Premier):" | 17-inch alloy |
| Wheel size and type (available on Premier): | 18-inch alloy |
| 15-inch tires: | 195/65R15 ALS |
| 16-inch tires: | 16-inch: 215/60R16 ALS |
| 17-inch tires: | 17-inch: 225/45R17 ALS |
| 18-inch tires: | 18-inch: 225/40R18 ALS |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Brakes
| Type: | power 4-wheel anti-lock disc w/ESC and Duralife rotors |
| Front rotor diameter (in / mm) and caliper type: | 10.8 / 276 vented; single-piston w/cast iron caliper |
| Rear rotor diameter (in / mm) and caliper type: | 10.4 / 264 solid; single-piston w/aluminum caliper |
| Front total swept area (mm2): | 35,409 |
| Rear total swept area (mm2): | 27,646 |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Exterior Dimensions
| Wheelbase (in / mm): | 106.3 / 2700 |
| Overall length (in / mm): | 183.7 / 4666 |
| Overall width (in / mm): | 70.6 / 1795 |
| Overall height (in / mm): | 57.4 / 1458 |
| Front track (in / mm): | 60.8 / 1544 |
| Rear track (in / mm): | 61.3 / 1557 |
| Curb weight (lb / kg): | TBD |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Interior Dimensions
| Seating capacity: | 2 / 3 |
| Front headroom (in / mm): | 38.9 / 988 |
| Rear headroom (in / mm): | 37.3 / 948 |
| Front legroom (in / mm): | 42 / 1068 |
| Rear legroom (in / mm): | 36.1 / 917 |
| Front shoulder room (in / mm): | 54.8 / 1394 |
| Rear shoulder room (in / mm): | 53.7 / 1366 |
| Front hip room (in / mm): | 53.1 / 1351 |
| Rear hip room (in / mm): | 51.9 / 1319 |
| Knee room (in / mm): | TBD |
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Capacities
| Passenger volume (cu ft / L): | TBD |
| Cargo volume (cu ft / L): | TBD |
| Fuel capacity, LS with automatic transmission (gal / L): | 12.75 / 48.2 |
| Fuel capacity, all other models (gal / L): | 13.74 / 52 |
| Engine oil (qt / L): | TBD |
| Cooling system (qt / L): | TBD |
