This may be the theme of the automotive world as we see it now. Nearly every single automaker works to find a way to get more out of their vehicles. The days of being able to make cars with bigger engines and let the emissions be damned has long passed us by and now automakers turn to other forms of creating more from even less. The direction of the automotive world is heading toward more efficiency and power from engines that produce the lowest emissions ever, which has created a dynamic of lighter materials that are now used in the building of vehicles.
For the Chevrolet Cruze the more comes in the size and the features that are offered while the weight is not increased, in fact it has dropped by 250 pounds versus the previous version. The new Cruze is actually 2.7 inches longer than the current one, giving you a full inch improvement in the wheelbase to bring it to 106.7 inches. This expansion allows the Cruze to offer you a cabin that is closer in size to a midsized sedan than a compact car, allowing you to have a car that is more comfortable for you to ride in than ever before.
The size of the cabin is not the only improvement to the driving experience. You will find higher quality materials in a design that appears to have created two cockpits in the front of the car with the unique dashboard look. You will enjoy the upscale seven-inch touchscreen display that gives you the connectivity you want. The Cruze doesn’t leave out the safety either as it offers you the most safety in this class to be one of the best choices you can make for your daily driver.
When you look under the hood you will find a new 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A lower weight translates to no need for increased power. This new engine is one of the new Ecotec engines that will be present in the lineup from GM and it will be rated for 150 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque which is an increase in both categories for the Cruze. The expectation is not only to deliver an increase in power, but a better fuel economy for this to be a car you really want to drive. Even the diesel power plant has been improved for the Cruze giving us a 1.6-liter versus the outgoing 2.0 which will show up by 2017.
One of the first changes you will notice on the new Cruze will be the transmission and the way it shifts smoothly and easily. The new six-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission is the choice you want for the driving you will enjoy. If you want to do your own shifting you can continue to enjoy the awesome six-speed manual transmission.
If you want a car that can deliver more excitement than it has in the past and still come in at a great price the Cruze is the one for you. This car offers you more structural rigidity as well to be the ride you want to have at the right price. The Cruze works well for every situation on the road for you to have a car that is considered an economy class sedan but really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing for the active power, light weight and larger cabin.
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