2009 Holden Cruze at MIMS
February 27, 2009 by David Twomey
Holden has launched a new era of small cars with the unveiling of the all-new Cruze at the Melbourne International Motor show.
The first in a new generation of GM global products, the Cruze will enter Australia’s small car segment in the second quarter of 2009 boasting advanced interior comfort and high levels of safety.
From launch, the Holden Cruze will be available with either a 1.8-litre ECOTEC petrol engine or optional 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged common rail diesel engine.
GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss said the Cruze represented the brand’s commitment to the small car market and marked the beginning of a new era for the company.
“The small car market is the largest growing segment in the Australian market and this is our response to that change,”
“Cruze will play a significant role in Holden’s future and presents us with a new generation car, a new design and a new way of thinking”
The line-up will consist of the CD and CDX, with the choice of either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select.
Inside, the Cruze boasts many of the interior creature comforts we have come to expect from the category including contoured sports seats, CD with MP3 and infotainment display.
Standard safety across the range includes ESC, Traction Control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, EBD, belt pretensioners and six airbags.
Full specifications including pricing and fuel economy figures will be released closer to the launch date.
Print it: 
And by the way, NOTHING would induce me to buy a Korean car… NOTHING! I don’t care how much input GM has had. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it’s a duck. Just like ALL the other rebadged rubbish, it won’t sell. I was right about all the other rebadge jobs, and I’ll be right about this one!
Actually, the guy who has designed Cruze had also designed Fiat 500..He is a Korean and his name is Mr. Tae Kim. In addition. as I see, the Cruze looks very similar to Holden Commodore so why guys hates this deign?..Do you guys also know that GM Volt has been desgined by Korean?
Hey Guys…GM Daewoo is much better than GM Holden in terms of quality. In fact, the cars from GM Daewoo such as Viva, Epica, Cativa have induced much fewer warranty claims than GM Holden such as GM Commordore..GM Holden is rubbish!!
The Cruze’s timing belt needs to be replaced at 170,000 Km on the other hand, (Holden) Opel Astra needs at 60,000 Km…GM OPel is also rubbish!!
“Duck,
Just admit it: Cruze WILL be imported from KOREA until it is built here later.
You are not comprehending what you are reading properly.
Don’t go on showing your lack of intelligence by Cut n pasteing selected texts out of context”
Wrong! So Bret I’m showing my lack of intelligence because I’m telling true facts from a website? Maybe you should read it for yourself if you don’t believe me! You are the one showing little intelligence! Your so aroggant! You haven’t even read the passage you twit!!!! You are the one showing little intelligence!
And where’s your proof? Instead of throwing CRAP at me!
I’d appreciate it if you gave me some sorta facts.
Al – name one decent Dodge-Chrysler that was sold in Oz during the Daimler Chrysler era: The Crossfire.. The Neon.. The Voyager.. PT Cruiser…. Nope Not one!
Mind you – nothing has changed with the current models: The Sebring.. The Nitro.. The Calibre.. The Avenger
The only decent Dodge-Chrysler is the new Challenger which unfortuanately doen’t look like making it to Australia
Al – Comments like yours are what you expect from someone whose beloved car manufacturer is under threat from a smaller lesser known company.. You’re not a Toyota fan are you
Because believe it or not.. Korean cars have come along way – evident by the ever increasing popularity of Hyundais and Kias which together are gradually starting to take sales away from the bigger car manufacturers like Toyota particularly in the hatchback market.
Why? probably because people are starting to realise how much their reliability and build quality etc has improved; that they offer better value for money and are cheaper to repair and maintain than say the Yaris-Corolla.
Therefore; Now that Daewoo has support from both GM and Holden there is no real reason why their cars shouldn’t be as good.. you get what you pay for
A number of Auto industry experts are saying give them time and the Korean car manufacturers are expected to be bigger more powerful than the Japanese are ATM
BTW the Hyundai Genesis coupe is possibly going to be the worlds most powerful/fastest sub $50K RWD sports car
sillyhonda man,
your info is 4 years out of date.astra went from 60k(t.s) to 90k(ah before xer) to 150k (xer motors, my8.5 onwards)
and gm opel do make gm’s best cars,although i will admit some early offerings has issues.aussie temps and roads have distroyed a few.give me corsa,astra,insignia over barina,viva,epica any day…
I honestly do not think that the cruze will be built here.
Why?
Simple it is cheaper to import from Korea with more profits.
Holden will then either build the new Astra or that beautiful sketch that had been going around.And sell it for the same price as the current Astra.Therefore bigger profits and Holden is appealing to the cheapo and the premiums.Also i would not be surprised if the VF adopts insignia style grill and headlamps. With a insignia style dash.Also you will notice that the cruze has a Opel/vauxhall grill which i think is a very good move.
Wheelnut do you believe that Chevrolet will make the first Cruzes and send them to Australia late this year and GM-H will start building them here from next year?
o – It’s unlikely that Holden will be building the new model Astra here as approximately 90% of the R&D work is done and are ready to release the new model – although that could change if Opel breaks away from GM-H
The car that Holden is going to build will most likely look like the car which appears on the cover of wheels which is very similar to the car in these photos – with a slight facelift which the Cruze is expected to have by the time the Aussie made version is released next year.
I still think Holden would do better to build the RWD versions of the Opel Insignia [and maybe even the AWD version] which makes even more sense given that as I said Opel could break away from GM.
As for the VF the way it looks and its features have been locked and from what my mates a the Factory have told me it will look virtually the same as the VE
Sillyhonda man – he he that’s great. You are of course attempting pathetically to be contraversial.
Wheelnut see you and Andrew are still thrashing it out. My thoughts are Holden are making errors by introducing Asian cars as re-badged Holdens. The problem is, as you have stated, is that the Euro sourced cars are possibly too expensive for the Australian market. Punters won’t pay the full price especially after reliability problems are taken into account. Take the Astra, I’m guessing it is no big seller, it’s not a bad car but up against the Cruze which is cheaper it won’t sell well. I think Holden (GM) should have the two ranges as they do in the UK, Vauxhall for better, more expensive cars and Chevrolet for the cheaper option. Problem is then, too many cars for not enough buyers so why have both together. It’s a real tricky problem for Holden to deal with, given they have got it wrong recently with the what they have then two ranges with different names may be the way to go. I’m told the next Astra is a big improvement over the current one, more of the Insignia.
Also I wouldn’t be so sure about a RWD on the epsilon platform. Yes I know most folk who read CA prefer the RWD bit but the vast majority are not bothered by it, especially in the lower performance sector. I know the Insignia is a FWD and 4WD platform it is not strictly a purely RWD base. The cost of re-engineering engines and transmission for just the Australian market for what is considered a medium size car with lesser are too high for the volumes. The Epsilon platform is the Global platform from GM and will be used pretty much everywhere from articles I have read a range of cars will be made from it, RWD was not mentioned.
Back to Holdens problem – they really need to analyse the market more. What are Toyota doing (the No. One in Australia). I know… selling large numbers of smaller cars that are more reliable with the best customer follow up in the game and cheaper to repair. Nuff said.
GM-HOLDEN-DAEWOO ARE REBADGE KINGS, NO OTHER MANUFACTURER REBADGE IN SUCH LARGE NUMBERS, YOU CAN SEE WHY THEY LOSE RESPECT AND MONEY BY THE SHIP LOAD..
Duck, where do you think Chevrolet will build most of their Cruze’s? The GMDAT plant in KOREA!
And “O”:
“GM design executive Simcoe says the sedan and hatch versions of Holden’s small car will be near-identical – both inside and out – to the Chevrolet Cruze versions rather than custom-designed for Australia.”
Where’s your facts Bret? I’d need some facts first. I think you are just assuming and being arrogant towards Chevrolet. And to Holden for that matter.
Apparently the Cruze could replace the Viva and the Astra.
Duck,
Bret is right.
the cruze is currently made in Korea, and the aussie made version is still gonna be the cruze
deal with it dude
Duck, just because it’s a Chev doesn’t mean it’s buit in the US.
And jut to keep you happy:
“A North American edition of the Cruze is slated to go into production in mid-2010 at GM’s Lordstown plant in Ohio..”
Can’t see how they can import it from the US before they actually start building it there!
Duck Says:
March 5th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
“Apparently the Cruze could replace the Viva and the Astra”
Which rock exactly have you been under??
wheelnut,
a friend pointed this out to me this arvo.look at the tt torana’s front 1/4 panels and wheel arch,then the cruze’s.hope this makes you smile just a little…
Brett, here you go then……….
“Holden’s engineers were also significantly involved in the development of the car – the replacement for the Astra and Viva, most likely to be called the Cruze – making it by far the most ‘Australian’ vehicle of its type in history when it is rolled out in 2010.
Furthermore, Holden hopes to trump Ford’s locally-built Focus small car by beating it to market by up to a year.”
Website: GoAuto
So what website did you get yours from then? Ha?
duck,
let it go.cruze will come at least initially from korea.retreat now,and prepare for the really big battle at this months end…
Duck,
I don’t see what you are trying to say with you CnP quote. There’s nothing there that isn’t well known. What is your point? The replacing Viva bit? That was covered hundreds of post ago.
BTW look for a 3 door hatch: styled in Aus. (But still engineered by GMDAT).
I cannot even imagine an exterior design more boring then the cruze. Maybe 10 years ago it would have looked appealing… but today it’s up against brilliant looking Fords and Mazdas. Annoying thing is, it’ll probably sell more then the Focus.
Yet another poor attempt by Holden to make money with a cheap inferior product although this is prefered to building a local four cylinder after the debarcles of the past.
I can guarantee Holden are well and truely heading for disaster when they start building a local four cylinder vehicle. Every four cylinder car Holden have built has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.
Mark Reuss is a poster boy for GM execs and the reason GM is in bankruptcy.
If Holden/Daewoo have any hope of meeting their sales figures with this car they better offer a 5 year unlimited kilometer warranty. But the reality is, they’d probably go bankrupt (for good) after 3 years if they were to honour this warranty. We all know that Holden’s are far from reliable… very, very far from reliable. GM service, labour and spare parts would exceed the value of the car by year 5!!!
When will Holden realise that these Deawoo built cars will never cut it in Australia.
I dint care where Its designed . It’s the modern equivalent of saying I drive a Polski Fiat , Lada or Trebant.
Wats a daewoo??????????