A couple of units of the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze were
spotted recently in India with test plates. This is just
one of the cars we would’ve seen on Indian roads had General Motors not decided
to pull the plug on Chevrolet cars in India.
Before you get your hopes up high, we point out that
the units of the Cruze aren’t meant for the Indian market. They are undergoing testing for foreign markets to which GM is exporting
cars from India. One of the cars in the pictures sports ‘Cruze Turbo’ badging
on the top left of the boot lid. ‘LTZ’ badging on the top right signifies that
this is the top of the line trim.
The new generation Cruze was unveiled in June 2015
and was expected to arrive in India in early 2017. However, GM’s decision to
cease the sale of Chevrolet cars in India means the Cruze will never see the
light of day in our market.
In the North American market, the Cruze packs a 1.4
L Turbocharged Petrol engine delivering 153 hp and 240 Nm. Choice of
transmissions includes a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic. Diesel
variants are powered by a 1.6 L ‘Whisper Diesel’ engine sourced from the Opel
Astra sold in Europe. This engine produces 140 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. It
comes mated to a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission. The second
generation Cruze utilises a new platform that makes it 113 kg lighter than its
predecessor.