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GM India has launched its entry D-segment offering, the Cruze today. The diesel engined powered saloon is being offered in two variants - the LT and LTZ, with the former priced at Rs 10.99 lakh and the later at Rs 12.45 lakh, ex-showroom, Thane.
"The Cruze has been receiving rave reviews since its recent debut in some other markets. We expect it to perform well against the established D-segment players," General Motors India President and Managing Director Karl Slym told reporters here.
The company claims that the car would give a mileage of 18.3 kilometre per litre, according to the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) standards.
The Cruze is currently being rolled out in many countries across the globe.
"GM's investments in manufacturing the Cruze in India is a demonstration of our sustained commitment to making Chevrolet the most admired and preferred vehicle brand in this country," Slym added.
The Chevrolet Cruze available in India is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine with 150 bhp and 33 kgm of peak torque. Borrowing its driveline from its bigger sibling, the Captiva SUV, the Cruze is based on GM's global Delta 2 platform, which also underpins the Astra. It currently is being offered with only a 5-speed manual gearbox.
For India, GM India have used a strategy of offering lots of features - so the car has rain sensing wipers, keyless entry and start, a multi-information display unit, two airbags and ABS standard on the premium LTZ. Besides equipping the car with loads of kit, the car also has funky interiors and a nicely laid out instrument cluster. Space management on the inside too is quite good, with marginal increase in interior dimensions over the Optra.
GM India's strategy will not end with the Cruze. It will launch the Beat - a Hyundai i10 baiting hatchback for around Rs 4.8-6 lakh this December. Other launches will include more variants of the Cruze, including an automatic transmission option for the diesel and a 1.8-litre petrol mill, sometime early 2010. A common rail diesel engine based on the Isuzu D-Max for the Tavera is imminent as well as a diesel engine option for the Beat and Spark by late-2010. Besides, GM India has also geared up to introduce its small car Spark with a 800cc petrol engine in 2010.
Watch this space for more updates on the Cruze and its variants
Our review of the Chevrolet Cruze can be read here:
http://bsmotoring.com/news/chevrolet-cruzecruze-control/1189/1
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