General Motors is all-set to unveil the next generation Cruze which is ready to make its global debut at the Beijing Auto Show on 20th April and was captured completely undisguised in China a few weeks ago. Now, more details and information have emerged on the next generation Cruze that will be a China specific model. The next generation Cruze will be sold alongside the facelifted version of the current generation model. The new Cruze will not be drastically different from the American version, but will sport certain regional specific changes.
The China specific 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is expected to feature a shorter wheelbase, compared to the North American model. If sources are to be believed, the China model will measure 4568 mm in length, 1786 mm in width and 1458 mm in height, while the wheelbase would measure 2662 mm. The car weighs around 1245 kgs in the base trim, around 115 kgs lighter than the older version sold in China. Compared to the China specific Cruze, the model spotted testing in Europe wasn’t drastically different in terms of design and styling. The North American version is expected to be slightly longer, while sporting subtle changes to differentiate the model more prominently from the Chinese spec version.
General Motors also confirmed that the next generation Cruze in China will get the new 1.4-litre Ecotec engine producing 148 HP and 235 Nm, mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic transmission. The Cruze will also get a 1.5-litre Ecotec engine producing 112 HP and 146 Nm of torque, and will be mated to a 5-speed manual unit. The sedan will get a host of safety features like ABS, ESP, as well as fuel saving technologies such as ECO energy saving mode.
As it is now confirmed that there will be two versions of the Cruze sold globally; it will be interesting to see which version GM chooses to bring in India. The next generation Cruze is most likely to make its Indian debut in 2015 and could possibly feature new engine options, replacing the very powerful and fun to drive 2.0-litre unit. The current generation Cruze received a very subtle facelift in India earlier this month, while the US spec Cruze facelift was revealed at the NY Auto Show yesterday. We will keep you updated with the details on the next generation Cruze, once it is unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show next week.
Pictures Courtesy – Autohome.com.cn