Our readers are aware that Chevrolet showcased the facelifted Cruze using the wagon body at the Geneva Motor Show. It is believed that the same front end will be adopted on the sedan, as our rendering by Shoeb R Kalania, attached to the left, proposes. The source is not able to confirm if this is the model that launches in India next month.

Frankly speaking, visually, there is not much of a difference between the current model and Chevrolet Cruze facelift. Minor updates feature on the front fascia like a wider chin, newly design fog lamp containers and revised air-dam. A marginally revised tail lamp cluster completes all the design changes in store. There aren’t any significant changes to the car’s interior.

An official from GM India earlier this year told IndianAutosBlog.com that the Captiva facelift’s 2.2-liter engine will not be used on the Cruze. He added that the Cruze will not receive a petrol engine. We suspect the new Cruze could continue using the same diesel engine though we cannot confirm that in this article.

We’re investigating, so stay tuned to IAB!

The smaller diesel engine is economy-minded but power shortage is not marked. It manages to push out 130 PS (about 20PS lower compared to the 2.2-liter) and 300Nm of torque. The outputs help the car complete the 0-100kph sprint in 9.4 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 200kph.

Chevrolet offers this new variant to fleet customers, a key business area for the company. It hopes the expanded Cruze range (that includes the recently launched hatchback and the wagon coming later this year) will keep the dealers and customers satisfied.

In India, we’re not sure if the 1.7 VCDi will work as the Cruze is marketed as a diesel rocket. There is no possibility of this being sold as a rear seat car, the performance angle is what draws customers to showrooms. It is satisfied with the Cruze’s performance presently. GM does not have any intentions to plonk the 2.2-liter engine (coming through the Captiva facelift) on the Cruze. GM does not plan on immediately refreshing the Cruze either. A petrol engine is also not in the scheme of things.

Not leaving it for an official unveiling or a spy shot, our image editing wizard Shoeb R Kalania fused the Cruze wagon’s front-end into the sedan body style. His work feels like he’s gone to the future, plucked out an image from the press archive, and brought it back for this post!

The facelifted Cruze sedan may be launched a few months after the station wagon hits showroom floors this summer in Europe. The estate model borrows the 2.0-liter diesel engine that propels the sedan and a new 1.7-liter VCDi engine armored with fuel-saving start-stop technology generating 130bhp joins the lineup. It is not clear if General Motors India will use the low displacement engine for the Cruze facelift.

Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com at the Delhi Auto Expo, a higher official from GM India said the 2.2-liter VCDI used on the Captiva will not be asked to carry out duties on the Cruze. He also stated that GM India is not looking at petrol engine options for the “Diesel Rocket.”

For Europe this is not the case as the 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter petrol engines, taken from the sedan’s lineup, will find plenty of buyers on the wagon as well.

You see the Cruze is about to get a facelift soon and many test mules have been spied wearing camouflage on the front suggesting a front fascia update. Surprisingly, the Cruze station wagon features a different front fascia than the sedan. Thus speculations are rife that the front fascia of station wagon will be carried over to the sedan.

However, previously, our friends at Auto-forum.cz have also exposed a different front fascia of the Cruze. Interestingly, you will notice that both front end are distinctly different. While, GM does have the habit of customizing global vehicles for domestic markets, no one actually knows which front will be adopted for the Indian market.

So we throw the ‘wand of choice’ in our readers hands. Which front fascia do you like the most?

We’ve already posted a snap of the front fascia revealing the revisions – Pyramidal fog light module, radiator grille stacked horizontally and a new grid-like formation on the lower intake are on the anvil.

Here are a couple of more spyshots of the reworked Cruze camouflaged thickly. Though the pictures don’t give away much, predictably cosmetic changes are present to the rear of the car as well.

Our intuitions are that the stoplights could receive a minor nip/tuck, and the rear bumpers may feature a more pronounced design. A GM India official speaking to IAB during the Auto Expo said the 2.2-liter CRDI engine used on the Captiva is not planned for the Cruze and ruled out immediate plans for a facelift.

Three new C class cars are in the pipeline to India. The Focus, new Civic and the Elantra have set their sights on India and we’d not be surprised to see the market tilting in favor of fresh designs and new technology.

[Source - Blog.Naver.com and AutoForum.cz]

With this, General Motors can claim to be the numero uno manufacturer of the world. VW sold 8.16 million units in 2011 and although Toyota has yet to report its total volume for last year, but last month the Japanese company estimated its annual sales at 7.9 million vehicles.

GM enjoyed a very strong 2011 with a total growth rate of 7.6 percent when compared with 2010. The cherry of the eye for General Motors was Chevrolet with the brand moving 4.76 million units around the world in 2011. Leading the sales for Chevrolet globally was the Cruze compact sedan, which shifted 670,000 units. Other global platforms, such as the Sonic and Spark (by that we mean Beat!) also contributed to Chevrolet’s success.

The key markets that were responsible for GM’s impressive comeback were Russia, Turkey and Germany which posted year-over-year increases of 49%, 30% and 21%, respectively.

Now here is a twist – GM reported the sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling partnership as its own which amounted to 1,285,820 units. As GM does not have a controlling stake in the partnership, this practice is definitely questionable. If you remove that share, VW becomes the number manufacturer in the world. Anyways, we will let GM have the bragging rights for now!

Source: LeftLane News

But a few of them REALLY caught our attention.

First up is the Beat music edition which features:

• Custom Orange color with white graphics
• White alloy wheels
• A chrome tip muffler
• White OVRMS
• And as the name suggest, a custom Music System

GM said it was testing the response of the public to the orange color for the showroom models.

Next in my personal favorite – A customized Cruze featuring:

• LED headlamps
• Smoking hot alloy wheels
• Mercedes E-Class like rear tail lamp with LEDs
• And a RockFord Fosgate music system

This vehicle is another study but there was no clarity on whether GM will list these accessories in the brochure. What GM did tell us, without being specific, was they believed a lot could be done with the Cruze.

Simple and sweet, ain’t it?

Left – Chevrolet Cruze facelift; Right – Front fascia of the current Cruze

Back home, GM’s most successful launch since mid-2009 is the Cruze. The Beat diesel comes close, but after the boring performance of the Optra Magnum and the pull-out of two premium segment cars – SR-V and Forester – who would have expected the Cruze to beat all odds and force the competition to advance diesel engine plans?

The Cruze was shown first at the Paris Motor Show back in October 2008. Its been about three years since it was put on the market and it rightfully deserves a cosmetic makeover. The guys over at AutoForum.cz have posted an image of the upgraded model which wears a new multi-slab grill as opposed to the current model’s beehive design. The air dam has evolved from a quadrilateral to a hexagon. Fog light houses are shaped to resemble a right-angled triangle that’s ready to prove the Pythagorean theorem.

Under the hood, GM will be tempted to transplant the updated Captiva’s 2.2-liter VCDI engine that is more fuel economical and better to drive. General Motors has started working on a range of next generation EcoTec petrol engines likely to feature on the Cruze facelift in the coming years. It has tested a full EV guise and is working on sending out a Volt-based variant into the market in the next few years. Future variants are likely to come out sporting the updated looks.

[Source - AutoForum.cz]

Yes, Chevrolet is celebrating its 100^th birthday this year and the Cruze just sold its 1 millionth unit worldwide

Designed by Daewoo and engineered by Opel, the Chevrolet Cruze 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. Launched in and around the same time as GM filed for bankruptcy, the Cruze project had so many hopes riding on it.

Happily the Cruze delivered everything it was expected to. Today, the Cruze is the best seller in its segment in US and has been for the last 10 months. Globally, the Cruze is sold in more than 100 countries and is Chevrolet’s top-selling nameplate.

Back home, the Cruze revived Chevy India from the slumping sales of the Aveo and the Optra. The stunning looks, coupled with a diesel engine and class leading warranty, the Cruze is a very fabulous buy in its segment.

The teaser campaign is live on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/guesswhoisbackinblack

One has to cough up around 16k rupees extra for the improved Cruze. Watch out for the ads on Times Of India tomorrow morning.