The Chevrolet Cruze () is a compact car produced by General Motors from 2008 through 2023. It was designated as a globally developed, designed, and manufactured four-door compact sedan, complemented by a five-door hatchback body variant from 2011, and a station wagon in 2012. The Cruze replaced several compact models, including the Chevrolet Optra which was sold internationally under various names, the Chevrolet Cobalt sold exclusively in North America, and the -market Holden Astra.
The Cruze was released in 2008 for the South Korean market as the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere () prior to the adoption of its international name in 2011, when the Daewoo brand was discontinued. In , the model was sold between 2009 and 2016 as the Holden Cruze. In 2016, the Cruze sedan was restyled and renamed for the market as the Holden Astra Sedan, as a sedan complement to the Holden Astra family.
Due to the market shift towards SUVs and decreasing sales, the Cruze has been gradually phased out. Production of the Cruze in South Korea ended in 2018 as part of restructuring of GM Korea, which in turn ceased supply of the Holden Astra Sedan to . In the United States and Mexico, production ended in 2019, while production in China ended in 2020. Production continued in Argentina until 2023. It was replaced by the Monza in China, which is known as the Cavalier in Mexico.
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Nameplate disambiguation
Before the release of the global Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan in 2008, General Motors made use of the name "Cruze" between 2001 and 2008 in Japan, Australia (as Holden Cruze), and New Zealand. Announced as the Chevrolet YGM1 concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, the original Cruze was derived from the subcompact Suzuki Ignis five-door hatchback (known as the Suzuki Swift in Japan). Despite the Chevrolet branding, the YGM1, like the production car, was the work of GM's Australian arm, Holden. Along with the styling, Holden executed most of the engineering work and were responsible for devising the "Cruze" nameplate. The Cruze came either with a 1.3- or 1.5-liter engine coupled to either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.
Manufactured by Suzuki in Japan, GM revealed the production Chevrolet Cruze in October 2001, with Japanese sales commencing the following month. From 2002 through to 2006 this generation of Cruze was sold in Australia (as Holden) and New Zealand (as Chevrolet).
The production Cruze had standard front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional. Chevrolet pursued a marketing strategy that positioned the high-riding Cruze as a light-duty sport utility vehicle (SUV). This contrasted with Suzuki's approach with the Ignis marketed as a conventional passenger model. From 2003, Suzuki of Europe began manufacturing the Cruze as the Suzuki Ignis—representing a facelift of the original Ignis, but only for European markets.
First generation (J300; 2008)
In 2008, GM introduced the Cruze compact car, carrying the "J300" internal designation. Mainly developed by GM Korea, this J300 iteration serves as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt, Daewoo Lacetti and Holden Astra compact cars. GM phased out production of the Cobalt and its badge engineered counterpart, the Pontiac G5 in 2010, just prior to the manufacturing of the Chevrolet Cruze was to commence. The first renderings of the Cruze were revealed by GM at a press conference on July 15, 2008, with the first official images released on August 21, 2008.
At the ceremony of the start of production of Cruze at Ohio, Mark Reuss, the president of GM's North American operations said, "This is everything for us". It is described as GM's most significant new vehicle introduction into North America since the Chapter 11 reorganization in 2009, and is GM's latest attempt to build a small size car that North American consumers would "buy because they like it – not simply because it is cheap".
Underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform, GM has confirmed the Cruze development program occurred under a global design and engineering team. GM Daewoo in South Korea played a leading role in the design and engineering of the Cruze, along with GM's German-based Opel division. This development program spanned over 27 months at a cost of US$4 billion. A total of 221 prototypes were tested in Australia, Canada, China, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to GM, the Cruze's body structure is 65 percent high-strength steel. MacPherson struts are utilized in the front suspension with a solid torsion beam axle for the rear, avoiding the cost and complexity needed for a modern multi-link independent rear suspension used by some more expensive rivals.
According to GM's global product development chief Mark Reuss, the North America version Cruze is modified from the global platform as it requires reinforcements to the engine compartment because it offers a bigger engine than in other markets and uses torsion beam suspension.
Hydraulically-assisted (electric for North American market) rack and pinion steering gives for a turning circle. Braking-wise, ventilated front, and solid rear disc brakes are employed, both using piston steel calipers. To counteract noise, vibration, and harshness, engineers have designed the Cruze with an isolated four-point engine mount and implemented sound damping material in areas including the front-of-dashboard panel, luggage compartment, decklid internals, doors, carpet and headlining. Further noise suppression through the use of a triple-layer sealing system in the doors has also been employed.
A five-door Cruze hatchback was unveiled as a concept car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show on October 1, 2010. Cruze hatchback sales began in Europe in mid-2011. Holden in Australia were responsible for the design and development of the hatchback body variant.
GM unveiled the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon in February 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. Load space ranges from about up to the window line in the rear, to nearly up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.
Production Cruze production sites include Gunsan, Jeonbuk, South Korea; Saint Petersburg, Russia; Shenyang, China; and Halol, India; Hanoi, Vietnam since April 2010 in complete knock-down (CKD) form, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan from May 2010; Rayong, Thailand after December 2010, and São Caetano do Sul, Brazil from 2011. Holden's localized hatchback version of the Cruze built at the Holden Elizabeth Plant from late 2011 joined the Cruze sedan manufactured there since March 2011. GM in the United States has upgraded the existing plant in Lordstown, Ohio to manufacture the Cruze, investing more than .
Safety The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) in May 2009 awarded the Cruze five out of five stars in their crash safety test, with 35.04 out of a possible 37 points. The following July, the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) awarded the Cruze five out of five stars in their test. The Cruze SE 1.6-liter tested scored 16 points in side-impact collision, 14.44 in front-end collision, and 15.73 in the 40 percent frontal offset collision. Euro NCAP graded the Cruze at five out of five stars as well—96 percent for adult protection, and 84 percent for child occupant protection, though the rating for pedestrian protection was a much lower 34 percent. The South Korean-specification Cruze—the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere—received the top rating of five stars in the Korean New Car Assessment Program's (KNCAP) frontal, offset frontal, side, and whiplash tests.
The Cruze in its most basic Latin American version received 4 stars for adult occupants and 3 stars for infants from Latin NCAP in 2011.
In the United States, the Cruze received the highest possible ratings of "good" in front moderate overlap, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), who listed the Cruze as a 2011 Top Safety Pick. The Cruze received a "marginal" rating in the small overlap test. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Cruze the agency's highest five-star safety rating, based on its score for frontal impact (driver and passenger), side impact (driver and passenger), and for the side pole test (driver). NHTSA graded the Cruze at four out of five stars for rollover safety performance.
+IIHS scores Small overlap front (Driver) Marginal Moderate overlap front Good Side (original test) Good Roof strength Good Head restraints and seats Good
Reliability and recalls According to Consumer Reports, during its first year, the Cruze scored the lowest in reliability among compact sedans.
GM announced in April 2011 that 2,100 Cruzes in North America would be recalled following a report of the steering wheel breaking away from the steering column during motion.
On June 22, 2012, GM issued a recall for 413,418 Cruzes manufactured at the Lordstown, Ohio plant, to address a risk of engine compartment fires. The recall covered 2011 and 2012 models built from September 2010 through May 2012 and affected vehicles sold in the United States, Canada, and Israel. The fire hazard arose from the possibility of fluids becoming trapped near the engine and catching fire. 9,547 Australian-built Cruzes were also recalled for this reason, though no engine fires were reported in Australia.
GM issued another recall on August 16, 2013, for 2011 and 2012-model Cruzes—292,879 cars built at the Lordstown plant—to address a potential loss of power brake assist, due to a faulty microswitch in the power brake vacuum pipe assembly of Cruzes with the 1.4-liter engine and the 6T40 automatic transaxle. GM stated awareness of 27 low-speed crashes due to brake issues that might have involved this fault.
On March 28, 2014, GM halted sales of 2013- and 2014-model Cruzes with 1.4-liter engines (about 60% of Cruzes), initially without stating a reason for the stop-sale order; subsequently GM disclosed that the issue was a faulty right-side axle shaft.
2012 update The Cruze was given a mild facelift for 2013, unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. There was a new front fascia with redesigned air vents around the fog lamps, and the grille and headlamps also received minor updates. New alloy wheels were offered, and GM's optional MyLink entertainment system became available. This model was first sold in South Korea, then Malaysia, then in other markets.
Safety The 2014 Cruze was tested by the IIHS and received a Top Safety Pick award:
+IIHS scores Small overlap front (Driver) Marginal Moderate overlap front Good Side (original test) Good Roof strength Good Head restraints and seats Good
2014 update On April 12, 2014, at the New York International Auto Show, Chevrolet announced a refreshed 2015-model Cruze with an updated grille and a more angular shape similar to that of the Malibu."2015 Chevrolet Cruze refresh adds Malibu's face and upgraded tech" from Autoblog (April 12, 2014) For Asian markets, the car's rear end was restyled with new lamps, trunk lid, and bumper; the Chinese version also got a market-specific redesigned front end. The rear end in other markets remained unchanged.
Powertrain Engines fitted to the Cruze are the 1.6-liter Family 1 inline-four, a 1.8-liter version of the same, and a 2.0-liter VM Motori RA 420 SOHC turbocharged common rail diesel, marketed as VCDi. All three engines are coupled to a five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission featuring Active Select. When the Cruze launched in the United States in 2010, a new 1.4-liter Family 0 turbocharged gasoline engine was introduced. North American models fitted with the 1.8-liter gasoline engine have also been upgraded to a standard six-speed manual.
In 2011, a new 2.0-liter Family Z diesel engine marketed as VCDi replaced the previous VM Motori VCDi unit of equal displacement.