MOTOR RIVALS

The all-new Chevrolet Cruze is larger, lighter, more efficient and more sophisticated than the brand's previous best-selling global car. The Cruze elevates the compact car segment with new technologies, active safety features, more spacious interior and an athletic, aerodynamically optimized design. The sleek profile is complemented by detailed, layered line work in the hood and body-side panels, contributing to an overall impression of muscularity - with an athletic stance enhanced by a longer wheelbase. The headlamps sweep back into the front fenders and an expressive, stacked dual-port grille design offers upscale attention to detail. Beyond the quantifiable, there's greater perceptual spaciousness in the new Cruze, driven by flowing line work in the instrument panel, which blends almost seamlessly with the front door panels. Like the exterior, the Cruze's interior - and the instrument panel in particular - feature lean, muscular and layered surfaces built around the Chevrolet-signature dual-cockpit theme.

Powertrain

• All-new, standard 1.4L turbocharged engine - 153 horsepower (113 kW) and 177 lb-ft of torque (240 Nm)
• Standard six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
• GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway with automatic transmission.
• Stop/start technology - automatically shuts down the engine when the car comes to a stop under certain driving conditions, such as a stoplight. The engine automatically restarts when the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.
• Expected 0-60 mph: 8 seconds
• Maximum highway range of 530 miles per tank
• In 2017, a new diesel model will be introduced

Chassis

• 0.29 coefficient of drag
• 2.7 inches (68 mm) longer and nearly an inch (25 mm) shorter in height than the current model
• All-new, stronger and lighter body structure - approximately 250-pound (113 kg) lower curb weight than the current model
• MacPherson strut front suspension design with specially tuned bushings and geometry
• Torsion beam rear axle on L, LS and LT models
• Enhanced Z-link design on Premier
• Rack-mounted electric power steering is standard on all models
• Four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife longer-life rotors are standard on all models
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control, with traction control, rollover mitigation and anti-lock brakes, is standard
• Wheel sizes ranging from 15 to 18 inches.
• Class-leading 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase enhances roominess, contributing to greater rear-seat legroom and more rear knee room

Technology

• Chevrolet MyLink with smartphone integration capability - provides simple and intuitive use of smartphones in the vehicle. It integrates certain phone functions onto the Cruze's seven-inch-diagonal color touchscreen, allowing them to call up music, navigation apps and more. An uplevel MyLink radio with an eight-inch display and navigation is available and also incorporates Apple CarPlay.
• Standard seven-inch-diagonal screen and available eight-inch-diagonal screen
• Eight-inch screen only with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto coming later
• Rearview camera
• Available features - wireless phone charging, heated rear leather seats and heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 4.2-inch-diagonal high-resolution driver information center in the gauge cluster
• Premium features including heated front cloth seats, heated rear leather-trimmed seats, and heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel.
• Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as a growing audio and messaging app ecosystem that includes WhatsApp, Skype, Google Play Music, Spotify and podcast players.
• Available OnStar with 4G LTE and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot

Safety

• New, stronger body structure - incorporates high-strength steel
• 10 standard air bags, including frontal driver and passenger air bags, roof rail-mounted head curtain side air bags that help protect the front and outboard rear seating positions; seat-mounted side-impact air bags (front and rear); and front knee air bags
• Available safety features include an expanded range of crash-avoidance technologies, including Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert.
• Front passenger seat occupant sensing system and rollover sensing and protection system
• Collapsible pedal assembly to help protect against lower-extremity injuries
• Three-point safety belts in all five seating positions, safety belt retractor pretensioners and lap pretensioners in the driver and front-passenger positions, and safety belt load limiters (with pretensioners) in the front safety belt retractors
• LATCH child seat latching system in the rear seat
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Daytime running lamps
• Automatic headlamps.

Highly-anticipated and much-speculated, the Mazda3 is all-new, representing the third generation of Mazda’s best-selling vehicle worldwide. The Mazda3 not only receives the full suite of SKYACTIV technologies but a complete KODO “Soul of Motion” makeover as well as offers all-new active safety technologies with i-ACTIVSENSE and introduces an all-new “heads-up” HMI/infotainment system known as MAZDA CONNECT™. Shedding pounds, gaining efficiency and outfitted in a new wardrobe of KODO sheet metal, Mazda3 is poised to challenge its competitive-natured compact car colleagues. Like a true partner, the new Mazda 3 is revitalising, inspiring people to expand horizons. Look at how it handles, devoutly responding to driver input, cornering and delivering feedback with choreographed precision. It even links occupants to cyberspace with a new mobile connectivity concept, safely and conveniently bringing what they otherwise take for granted into the vehicle. It's all part of Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda's vision-in-progress for safe and eco-friendly vehicles. Exceptionally low harmful emissions let one enjoy the drive with a clear conscious. In fact, it's at or near the top of its class in a list of other categories, too, from interior space and aerodynamics to acceleration, braking and more. The intelligent design and sophisticated interactivity of the new Mazda 3 will simply bring out the best. This car is going to grow on you. Available in four-door and five-door forms, Mazda3 is offered in four trim levels – SV (sedan only), Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Pricing starts at less than $17,000 MSRP for sedans and less than $19,000 MSRP for five-door configurations.

Powertrain

• Two engine choices – both advanced direct injection engines feature a new high-tumble 4-2-1 exhaust system that increases engine output.
• SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine: 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm
• SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine: 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm
• SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual or SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic

Chassis

• Electric power assist steering system - gearing ratio of 14.0:1.
• Significant weight savings - approximately 100 lbs., depending on trim level
• Power-assisted ventilated front and solid rear disc solid brakes, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• Hill Launch Assist
• High-tensile steel (780MPa) was used for the lower suspension arms on the front MacPherson struts and rear multi-link trailing arms.
• Torsional rigidity is 31 per cent higher on the hatchback and 28 per cent on the sedan
• Drag coefficients - 0.258 for the sedan and 0.275 for the hatchback - are among the best available today on a mass-production vehicle.

Technology

• MAZDA CONNECT - next-generation infotainment system - connects via Bluetooth® to a smartphone and can easily be updated to ensure users always have access to the latest features and services without the need to swap out hardware.
• Standard AM/FM radio, CD and USB/auxiliary port connections, Pandora® internet radio and premium content such as Sirius® Satellite Radio and HD Radio™ Technology
• Internet-based apps Aha by HARMAN™ and Stitcher™ will be available
• Optional Bose® premium audio system with Centerpoint® 2 virtual surround sound playback

Safety

• i-ACTIVSENSE - uses sensing devices such as milliwave radars and cameras to support the driver in recognizing hazards, avoiding collisions and minimizing damage, should accidents occur.
• SKYACTIV-Body - efficiently absorbs impact energy from any direction and minimizes the chance of the cabin structure being compromised.
• Six airbags (advanced dual front, front-seat mounted and full-length side curtain)
• Whiplash-reducing front headrests
• Headrests for all seating positions
• Daytime running lights
• Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
• Three-point safety belts for all seating positions
• Front seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in the rear seats.
• i Touring and above models feature a Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) as standard equipment.
• A rearview camera is an available option on i Touring models and is standard on i Grand Touring as well as s Touring and Grand Touring models.
• The Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) and rain sensing wipers are standard on the s Grand Touring.
• High Beam Control (HBC), a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) are available as part of the Grand Touring Technology Package for the s Grand Touring models.