Updated 2015 Chevy Cruze Slated for NY Debut

The Bowtie Brand is refreshing the Chevy Cruze for the 2015 model year, with the updated car expected to debut during the 2014 New York International Auto Show and certainly include enough in the way of enhancements to remain one of the strongest players in the compact segment today. Although it doesn't sell in quite the numbers of the Toyota Corolla, the 2014 Cruze had closed to within fewer than 1,200 units of the Honda Civic in March, when its volume climbed 14 percent on 26,521 deliveries; and note that the Corolla and Civic, and the Dodge Dart, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra, all endured sales declines last month, too.

For the next model year, the 2015 Chevy Cruze will look to maintain that momentum with a restyled front appearance that draws from the same design language used for larger Chevrolet sedans like the Malibu and Impala. Front-seat convenience also has been improved, thanks to redesign cupholders and some repositioned switchgear, and there's been a nice technology boost as well.

Most notably, that includes the new 4G LTE connectivity service, provided in the 2015 Chevy Cruze by OnStar. It not only speeds up the many infotainment features offered in the car, but further allows occupants to connect up to seven personal electronic devices to the Internet thanks to its mobile Wi-Fi capability. "Siri Eyes Free" functionality also expands to the Cruze for the new selling season, as does a new text-messaging service that can read message content over the car's audio speakers.

Other highlights of the 2015 Chevy Cruze roster:

• Occupant-safety measures such as side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist and a rearview camera
• Three powertrain choices, including a high-efficiency turbo and an even higher-efficiency turbodiesel that peaks at 46 mpg highway
• Next-gen Chevy MyLink technology, highlighted by a 7-inch color touchscreen and the later availability of Chevy AppShop access
• Navigation
• Multiple USB ports
• Natural voice recognition
• LED exterior lighting

“We’ve simply made a great, versatile car even better,” said Steve Majoros, Chevrolet director of passenger car and crossover marketing. “Chevrolet continues to design, build and sell the most compelling small cars in its history and the 2015 Cruze offers more of the features, connectivity and efficiency that are important to today’s customers.”

Customers can expect the 2015 Chevy Cruze to reach dealerships later this year at a price that is currently TBD.