Chevy Cruze does not offer “hybrid-like” fuel economy
Respectable fuel economy, but not "hybrid-like"
Ultimately, hybrids are city cars, the Cruze is not
The new Chevy Cruze is a very nice car, and for many Americans it provides excellent fuel economy, but in no way does the Cruze offer “hybrid-like fuel economy without the price,” as GM suggests.
Hybrid cars were designed to improve city fuel economy, although often highway fuel economy is also improved a bit. And in the city, Cruze fuel economy is nowhere close to the hybrid fuel economy of a similarly sized Toyota Prius. Not even close.
According to the EPA, a manual Cruze offers 28 mpg in the city. An automatic Prius offers 51 mpg. 28 mpg is almost the same as 51 mpg, just like apples and oranges almost taste the same. Even in combined mileage the Prius offers significantly better fuel economy than the Cruze. Add an automatic transmission and Cruze city fuel economy drops to either 22 or 24 mpg dependent upon version – less than half what the Prius provides.
The Chevy Cruze is a great GM offering in its class, but its not in the same class as a hybrid like the Prius.
And, if GM is so concerned about “hybrid-like” fuel economy in this segment, then build some Prius-like hybrid cars, and save the cheesy hybrid marketing for ‘old’ GM reunions.
They are already built on the same platform, so in some ways the Volt and Cruze are fairly similar.
But in terms of marketing, take on the Fiesta and the Corolla. Even better. Say the Cruze offers diesel-like fuel economy, without the extra costs or dirty emissions. That makes sense. This car doesn’t need silly hype and spin.
But KP is probably right. it’s taken so long to bring this car to market, that many might not take it seriously. Consumers just assume that GM doesn’t offer a quality competitor in this segment.
I’m AGOG. THIS car – configured like a VOLT could be a legitimate Prius contender.
Too bad that in what should be the highest volume car segment for GM, they keep missing the target. Seems like a half-decent car, but fuel economy and price both make it a bad choice for that segment. It took them 30 years to come up with a Malibu that can almost compete with an Accord or Camry. Why does it take so long for them to come up with something decent to compare with Civic or Corolla? They know about aerodynamics, or else the Volt wouldn’t have become more Prius-like between concept and production. This just continues to show that the NUMMI experiment was hype and not a learning experience just like the Volt is hype and not a valid Prius competitor, especially in terms of volume and price.
GM continues to treat car development like a science fair, not a business venture.