It’s simple, according to Jim Campbell, GM’s U.S. vice president for Chevrolet Marketing: “We believe the Cruze can redefine the expectations for compact-car owners and shoppers who are new to the segment. For the price of a compact car, Cruze offers the styling, safety features, roominess, amenities, and refinement of a much more expensive car.”
What’s that mean for customers? For an MSRP that begins at just $16,995, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze will offer standard amenities like air conditioning, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, a six-month subscription to GM’s OnStar service with Turn-by-Turn navigation, XM Radio with a three-month trial subscription, an advanced Ecotec engine and the most standard safety features in its segment. This includes 10 air bags, electronic stability control will rollover sensing, traction control, antilock brakes, a collapsible pedal system and power rear-door child-safety locks. To win over import owners requires a car with a lot of value, according to Chevrolet Dealer Minneapolis.
It’s an impressive package, especially when you consider what the competition brings to the compact segment. A rival Honda Civic may start with a sticker price about $500 less than the Cruze, but it also provides a lot less standard content. However, a new version of the Civic is expected next year, Honda Dealer Connecticut notes.
At its lower price point, the Civic skips important safety benefits like traction control and stability control, and offers fewer standard air bags. The Honda also comes up short when compared to the Cruze’s passenger and cargo room. Even Virginia Nissan dealers admit that the Cruze will certainly be a formidable entry to compete against popular Japanese models.
As Campbell explains, “While some of our competitors may have a lower starting price, Cruze wins on value once these competitors are optioned up.”
The rest of the lineup for Chevrolet’s new compact showcases the Cobalt LT, which adds a more powerful, more efficient 1.4-liter turbocharged engine and six-speed automatic transmission to its list of standard amenities, with an MSRP of $18,895, a sticker price shared with the high-efficiency Cruze Eco. Tuned specifically for better gas mileage, this fuel-sipping model is expected to boast an EPA rating of 40 mpg on the highway—the same number achieved by the subcompact Ford Fiesta. It’s also the highway mileage of the incoming Elantra model, Hyundai Alexandria says.
The range-topping Cruze LTZ boasts the LT’s turbocharged powertrain, along with leather accents on the interior, a six-way power driver’s seat, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, 18-inch alloy wheels, an up-level sound system with a USB port and even ultrasonic rear-parking assist functionality. And that’s all for a high-value sticker price of $22,695.
To further tailor the Cruze for customer preferences, a wide range of options will be available, from an in-dash nav system to a nine-speaker, 250-watt Pioneer audio setup to an aggressive RS Appearance package with rocker moldings, model-specific front and rear fascias, front fog lamps and a rear spoiler.
“That formula made Cruze a hit overseas, with more than 200,000 customers choosing Cruze since it went on sale in 2009,” according to Campbell, and Chevrolet is expecting more of that success when the car goes on sale at local Chevy dealerships later this summer.
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