2016 Chevy Cruze Interior Photos Surface

Looking a little bit softer and decidedly more upscale than the interior of the 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel I took on a thousand mile test drive last fall, the interior of the upcoming 2016 Chevy Cruze cuts the button-count down, improves the infotainment experience considerably with the addition of GM/OnStar’s Gen10 infotainment hardware, and ups the airbag count even higher than before (probably).

The newest version of the Chevy Cruze bowed earlier this year in China, which gets “our” 2016 Chevy Cruze – along with “our” 2016 Chevy Sonic – a year early. So, while the photos of the new “butterfly shaped” interior are probably 90-95% indicative of what we’re going to get once the newest Cruze lands, stateside, take everything written about the new Chevys (here, or otherwise) with a grain or two of salt. For now.

What do you guys think? Is the new look and new interior going to be enough to put the 2016 Cruze on top of the ultra-competitive compact car segment, or will Chevy need a few more tricks to take the compact crown away from the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic? Take a look at these pics, then let us know what you think in the comments. Enjoy!

Source | Photos: GM, via WorldCarFans.

New-for 2015 Chevy Sonic Spotted in China

We’re big fans of the Chevy Sonic here at Gas 2. After Chris drove one, he bought one. After I drove a turbocharged hatchback Sonic back in December, I – well, I asked Chevy to send me another one, at least. Enjoyable as the current Sonic is, however, it could be better. So, for 2015, Chevy is introducing an updated, new-for-2015 Chevy Sonic.

In China.

That makes sense, of course. China is GM’s biggest market, and Chevy is doing its best to make China feel special by introducing the next-generation 2016 Chevy Cruze there instead of here. That makes showing off the 2015 Chevy Sonic refresh in China a wholly expected thing.

What might not be expected is the Aveo name tag on the Sonic (the Aveo name, apparently, played better in China than it did here), and the upscale direction the new styling seems to be taking. The new-for-2015 Chevy Sonic/Aveo looks a lot more like the new Malibu and Impala than the 2014 does, and maybe that’ll help it take on a revived assault from the 2015 Honda Fit.

Time will tell. Until then, Chevy was kind enough to send me a white 2014 Sonic RS sedan- so I’m gonna go put some miles on it.

2015 Chevy Sonic | Sedan

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Sources | Photos: GM, via Car News China and Motorpasion.

2016 Chevrolet Volt Spy Shots

A much sleeker and sexier Chevrolet Volt is coming to showrooms next year, and we have the first spy shots of a prototype. This is the second generation of Chevy’s groundbreaking extended-range electric car, and though its styling is still not as avant-garde as that of the original Volt concept shown in 2007, it should still turn heads when cruising—silently—down the road. A sedan body with a rear liftback looks to be remaining, but the roof appears more coupe-like and a lot lower compared to the current model.

One area where it will be more like the original Volt concept is in the engine department. The second-generation Volt is expected to downsize to a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder for its range-extender, from the current model’s 1.4-liter four. This engine is part of General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] new Ecotec family and will feature in a range of models, possibly including the next-generation Cadillac ELR.

This engine will be used primarily to charge a lithium-ion battery, but, as we saw with the current model, the engine may also drive the wheels during high-load situations. The all-electric range of the new Volt should match the 40 miles of the current model, though we’ve heard on several occasions that this figure may be increased to help lure customers from Nissan and Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], whose electric cars have ranges that well exceed the Volt’s. Note, GM is also planninga pure-electric car with an approximate 200-mile range to take on Tesla's upcoming 'Gen 3' sedan.

One thing that won’t be increasing is the price, which may even come in lower than the $35k starting price of the current model; departed GM CEO Dan Akerson has said a number of times that the goal for the next model was to take approximately $10k out of the cost of producing a Volt, which remains a money-losing venture for GM. The good news is that the new Volt will still qualify for a $7,500 federal income-tax credit plus various state and local incentives.

To help reduce the cost of producing the new Volt, the car is expected to share a greater number of parts with its 2016 Chevrolet Cruze platform-mate. Production will continue at the current model’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

A debut for the new Volt is expected to take place at the 2015 Detroit Auto Shownext January. Sales should commence in the fall of that year, making the car a 2016 model.


Source: Motor Authority

2016 Chevy Cruze Bows In Beijing

While GM has improved the connectivity of the Chevy Cruze with the 2015 model, the 2016 Chevy Cruze debuted with a whole new look at the Beijing Auto Show. In fact, the new Cruze will debut in China before coming to the U.S., and includes a new suite of small-displacement EcoTec engines for motivation.

The Chevy Cruze has proven popular all over the world, but it has become especially important to GM’s efforts in China, where it will launch as a 2015 model. Not only does the next-gen Cruze get a streamlined new look, it will also offer buyers their choice oftwo new EcoTec engines. The base motor is a 1.5 liter making 113 horsepower, while a 1.4 liter turbo boosts output to 148 ponies. GM is claimed a 14 to 21% improvement to fuel efficiency over previous models, but official ratings have yet to be released.

In addition to a six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will offer even more efficiency for interested buyers. We’re assuming the interior will also receive some kind of update before coming to the U.S., though it doesn’t seem like GM let journalists take a shot of the new Cruze’s interior. Wonder why?

It’s not a bad looking update, and may also indicate the new look of the next-generation Chevy Volt as well.

Source: GM