Has the Chevrolet Cruze Hybrid finally been sighted? Our spy photographers caught this mildly-clad Cruze sedan running trials in Michigan, suggesting that this might well be the case. Visible fresh bits include a revised front bumper, headlight array and a different tail lamp design.
The second-gen global version of the Cruze premiered last June in its sedan form, and the hatchback was unveiled earlier this month ahead of its debut at the 2016 NAIAS in Detroit. There was no official talk of a hybrid variant when the sedan was revealed, but word on the grapevine had suggested that plans were afoot for a debut sometime in 2016.
Presumably, the car will be equipped with a similar full-hybrid powertrain setup as seen on the Malibu Hybrid. The Voltec-based system in the Malibu features a conventional 1.8 litre, direct-injected four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a slightly reworked twin-motor unit lifted from the Chevrolet Volt, with juice for that provided by an 80-cell, 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
On the Malibu Hybrid, combined power output is 182 hp, and the car is able to run up to speeds of up to 86 km/h on pure electric power alone, with an official fuel consumption figure of 19.1 km/l being touted. At point of launch, there was only one engine available for the new Cruze, a 1.4 litre turbo four-pot petrol with direct-injection, offering 153 hp and 240 Nm.
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Tough luck it’s gonna make it here, thanks to our backward-looking policies that have now discouraged the adoption of hybrid and EV vehicles.