#NYIAS We did some serious sitting in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco and a Cruze LTZ with the RS package at the New York auto show. The driver seats were quite comfortable, supportive even, and the materials around us looked and felt substantial. The steering wheel telescoped. We couldn't exactly extend our gangly limbs in the backseat, but that seat was comfy, too.
We can also tell you the 2011 Cruze goes into production in the third quarter of this year and goes on sale in the fourth quarter. You might not see the Chevrolet Cruze Eco until the very end of the year or early 2011, but we have it on good authority that it will be priced under $20K. And Chevrolet expects it to account for 10-20 percent of Cruze sales.
The Cruze Eco is of course the efficiency-minded model. It has the better of the two Cruze engines -- a 138-horsepower, turbocharged 1.4-liter four -- plus a bunch of aerodynamic enhancements, a slightly lower suspension (for aero efficiency, not handling) and low-rolling-resistance 215/55R17 Goodyear Assurance tires.
But Chevrolet has tried to hip up the frugal Cruze a bit by fitting lightweight 17-inch forged wheels. As this was an auto show, Chevrolet saw fit to apply a chrome finish to those wheels.
Forty mpg on the highway is the only fuel economy number we could wrest from Chevrolet officials at the show. That's with the six-speed manual transmission, which curiously is said to deliver the Cruze Eco to 60 mph in 10 seconds. Curiously because the six-speed automatic version will take you there in the low 9s, according to GM. Of course, we haven't seen the gearing for either transmission yet.
Buying a Cruze with the RS package is pretty much the same as ordering an RS Camaro, except you don't get halo headlights. Oddly, the RS badges go on the doors just above the extended rocker moldings, rather than on the tail of the car.
We inquired about the possibility of something more substantive -- say, a successor to the latter-day Cobalt SS.
"We're kind of in a position where we either do winning cars, or we don't do them," Jim Campbell, Chevrolet marketing manager, told us.
Guess that means Chevy would have to build a Cruze SS capable of beating the Focus RS, or else not bother.
stovt001 says:
04:03 PM, 04/ 1/10
GM better get on building a Focus RS beater then. The Cobalt SS was a real winner. There should be no reason they can't do the same with a Cruze SS.
Aside from the chrome, a good set of lightweight forged wheels is a nice pleasant surprise. Maybe GM should consider that possibility instead of those anchors currently attached to the Camaro.
felonious says:
04:26 PM, 04/ 1/10
I find the Cruze remarkable in its blandness. Supremely average. Sorry, GM fans.
GT5000 says:
04:47 PM, 04/ 1/10
It might be bland, but Toyota is proof that bland sells.
cah11705 says:
07:39 PM, 04/ 1/10
This would make for a good long term car. I'd love to read about chevy's new small car and how it is in the real world.
stovt001 says:
07:44 PM, 04/ 1/10
"It might be bland, but Toyota is proof that bland sells." Right. While the enthusiasts here will generally far prefer the Focus and Mazda3, the average car buyer will obviously prefer something simple, inoffensive, and efficient. If the Cruze lives up to its fuel economy projections, and the interior is as good as Erin claims, it should sell just fine. And if its fuel economy allows enthusiasts to have their Camaros and Corvettes, then let us rejoice.
inlinesix says:
08:43 PM, 04/ 1/10
Bland sells? Maybe bland cars sell but not because they're bland. People want to get cars that just work get them from point A to B. Most don't want to spend money repairing their car.
I say the Cruze Eco is a good call for GM.
zoomzoomn says:
04:48 AM, 04/ 2/10
"We're kind of in a position where we either do winning cars, or we don't do them," Jim "Ricky Bobby" Campbell, Chevrolet marketing manager, told us.
What the hell does that mean, Ricky Bobby? So Chevy's new thinking is that you are either first, or your last? Well, I guess they have alot of experience with last. Just remember, though. There's also second, third... We might just want to see a Cruze SS!
1487 says:
04:55 AM, 04/ 2/10
Those focused on the supposed lack of style are going to be disappointed when the car sells. This segment is about value and fuel economy. On top of that I think the car looks better than any compact sedan on the market. I also like the Forte but its not exactly an aggressive design. Once again we have people declaring something is coming up short without explaining which cars they feel set the standard in styling. The compact segment isnt known for dramatic styling experiments. The Civic is probably the most daring sedan in the class and it looks dated after 5 years on the market.
ed124c says:
06:42 AM, 04/ 2/10
Exterior is fine, but there is one glaring (to me) gaff, and that is the very thin strip of chrome just inboard of the headlight cluster. Especially in the picture of the blue car, it seems as if there is an awkward misalignment.
Interior is fine, but the eyelid over the IP looks like it was snapped on at the last minute.
Also, "under 20K" price? Chevy now sells Cobalt sedans for around 15K. Quite a jump, and it takes a lot of potential buyers out of the loop-- unless there is an XFE, or an euivalent. Oh, wait, that is the ECO, and it's "under 20K".
1487 says:
06:46 AM, 04/ 2/10
i doubt a stripped ECO version is going to be $19,995. I would think under $20k means decently equipped. This car wont be as cheap as the Cobalt though. I think the reasons for that are obvious.