The all-new Chevrolet Cruze has been spied testing without any camouflage in GM’s factory parking lot in Shanghai, China. The car is slated to be launched in the second half of 2014, after its debut at the Beijing Auto Show.
The 2015 model gets an all-new fascia with a split grille, DRLs (day time running lights) placed above the fog lamps , new headlamps with HID projectors and an all new bumper which houses the grille. The bonnet gets two creases in the centre and two sharp lines on both sides which integrate nicely with the A-pillar. The rear gets similar changes with all-new tail-lights and an additional brake light slotted above the Chevy bow-tie. The Cruze moniker sits on the left of the boot along with the Shanghai-GM badges.
The updates are not just limited to the exteriors; the interiors get an all-new three-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls. The centre console looks new with a nicely integrated big display at the middle of the dashboard, the AC vents are different and the new gear-lever console finishes the changes inside.
The updates aren’t cosmetic as the car may get two new engines a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated and a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The 1.5-litre will have an output of 112bhp and 146Nm of torque and can be ordered with a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol will produce 148bhp and 235Nm of torque mated to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG gearbox for China.
There is now news about the diesel mill for the Chevrolet Cruze, and we expect it to use the same 2.0-litre unit that powers the current car. GM hasn’t offered the Cruze in India with a petrol engine yet, and we expect one of the aforementioned engines to feature in the car when it is launched in India. Expect the car to hit Indian shores within a few months of its launch in China.