Chevrolet's next-generation Cruze sedan has been snapped completely naked, with the revealing photos first hitting the web via auto.sohu. But is this actually the next-generation Cruze? Well, yes and no. As a GM source tells us, this car is a new-generation Cruze, but it's bound only for China, and will be making its official debut at the 2014 Beijing auto show. While loosely connected to the next-generation global Cruze headed stateside in a year or two, the China-specific compact rides on a longer wheelbase and will be built in China.
What we can say is that this Chinese-market Chevy's styling should carry over more or less intact to the 2016 U.S.-market model. Now, we understand this look could change somewhat for our Cruze, but the basics are awfully, well, basic. This is a completely unexciting-looking car, with a vaguely Honda Civic–esque tadpole body shape onto which Chevy overlaid a pair of Kia Forte–aping headlights, a Malibu grille treatment, and the little swoosh-shaped rear fender crease from the two-sizes-up Impala. It works on the Impala, not so much here.
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The softened styling is a shame given how handsome today's hard-edged Cruze is, but we'll need to wait for the final U.S.-market design to appear in a year or so to render full judgment. At least there's good news on the engine front: We expect the new Cruze—Chinese or otherwise—to utilize at least one member of General Motors's all-new small-engine family.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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