By Don Hammonds Few segments of the automotive market are as cut-throat competitive as the compact car segment.It will be offered in more than 40 global markets and goes on sale first in North America in early 2016. Each brand in the field has its own calling card: Hyundai's Elantra combines strong, distinctive styling and a wealth of equipment, translating to value. Toyota's Corolla, one of the newest redo jobs, combines the brand's reputation for quality and durability, with  a bit  of sportiness and lost of comfort. Ford's Focus combines 21st century style with a growing reputation for performance  and handling. Now, into the fray comes the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, bringing with it completely new styling with strong influences from   both the newly designed Chevy Impala and the all-new 2016 Malibu. The semi fastback profile and character lines of the new Cruze strongly resemble the Impala,while the front end and taillight designs call the Malibu to mind. The Cruze also will be at the top of the compact car list when it comes to electronic and technological equipment, a lot of which are not offered on its competitors.   Among them are  new technologies such as available Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and new active safety features. Power comes from a new, standard 1.4L turbocharged engine with direct injection and an SAE-certified 153 horsepower (113 kW) helps enable a General Motors-estimated 40 mpg on the highway with the available six-speed automatic transmission. Stop/start technology helps enhance the Cruze’s efficiency in stop-and-go driving, company says. The new turbo engine and a leaner architecture that reduces up to 250 pounds (113 kg) also contribute to the new Cruze’s stronger performance, with expected 0-60-mph acceleration of eight seconds. “The 2016 Cruze builds on a very successful program that introduced Chevrolet to new customers the world over,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors  North America. Here are some of the other highlights mentioned in a Chevrolet press release:

• Next-generation Chevrolet MyLink with smartphone integration capability, including a standard seven-inch-diagonal screen and available eight-inch-diagonal screen (at launch, eight-inch screen only with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto coming later)
• New 1.4L turbo engine with direct injection and stop/start technology matched with a standard six-speed manual or available six-speed automatic transmission (North America)
• Maximum highway range of 530 miles per tank
• All-new, stronger and lighter body structure enhances agility, efficiency and safety – with an approximately 250-pound (113 kg) lower curb weight
• Class-leading 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase enhances roominess, contributing to greater rear-seat legroom and more rear knee room
• Projector headlamps with light-emitting diode (LED) signature lighting – and LED daytime running lamps on uplevel models
• More standard features than most competitors’ small cars such as 10 air bags, four-wheel disc brakes, rearview camera and available OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot
• New, available features including wireless phone charging, heated rear leather seats and heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Available advanced safety features include Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert
• New model range for North America including L, LS, LT and Premier – and a more expressive RS package.

“The new Cruze is truly one of Chevrolet’s most global vehicles,” said Batey. “With content variations dictated mostly by local market demands, customers in every corner of the globe will enjoy the same fundamental dynamics that are making Chevrolet one of the fastest-growing brands around the world.” In 2017, Chevrolet will introduce a new diesel model for U.S. customers that builds on the success of the current Cruze diesel model. Chevy officials say that the 2016 Cruze’s "expressive design balances the designers’ inspiration and the efficiency-optimizing input of wind tunnel testing – leveraging the aero experience of vehicles including the Volt. The result is one of the sleekest-looking cars in the class, with a 0.29 coefficient of drag – an attribute that contributes directly to a GM-estimated 40 mpg on the highway." The news release says, "Proportionally, the new Cruze is 2.7 inches (68 mm) longer and nearly an inch (25 mm) shorter in height than the current model, giving it a longer and leaner appearance. A faster windshield rake and a faster-sloping rear profile lend a sportier look to the design, while the rear profile culminates in a standard integral rear spoiler that contributes to the car’s aero efficiency. 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." “With styling influenced by the acclaimed 2014 Impala and all new Malibu, the 2016 Cruze brings Chevrolet’s new, expressive global design language to the small car segment,” said John Cafaro, executive director, Chevrolet Design. “The Cruze’s approach to proportion and premium details adds to Chevrolet’s elevation of craftsmanship, content, quality and a fresh interpretation of an identity that is unmistakably Chevrolet in every market around the world.” The headlamps sweep back into the front fenders and an expressive, stacked dual-port grille design offers upscale attention to detail. LT and Premier models feature premium forward lighting systems, including projector-beam headlamps and LED signature daytime running lamps. Additional design details include:

• The center-rear stop lamp is mounted at the top of the roof line for a more refined appearance
• Seamless rocker panels convey upscale attention to detail and contribute to aerodynamic performance
• Polished aluminum, piano black and bright-finished accents provide a more contemporary, upscale aura to the design
• The RS package includes unique grilles, front and rear fascias, fog lamps, front splitter, rocker panels, rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels on the Premier model.

With greater spaciousness and technology, the 2016 Cruze’s interior is designed to be more comfortable and a better connected environment for the driver and passengers. The greater spaciousness includes more rear legroom (36.1 inches / 917 mm) and two inches (51 mm) more rear knee room – more than Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. 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. It’s a thoroughly modern design that emphasizes human-technology interaction through the prominent, standard MyLink screen in the “center stack.” A mixture of accents, from piano black and matte black finishes to bright trim, along with more premium features such as available heated rear leather seats and wireless phone charging, complement the cabin with an upscale ambience generally reserved for midsize sedans – but one that is becoming increasingly important to customers around the globe who want premium amenities in smaller vehicles. Additional interior features and amenities include:

• Unique center console design for North America with specific user interface details such as a repositioned shifter, more intuitive positioning of the cup holders and enhanced storage
• More soft-touch surfaces and animal-grained, micro-etched surfacing that enhance the premium look and feel of the interior, as well as premium fabrics with French stitching, distinctive for its contrasting stitch colors. Premium leather is available
• 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.

Through smartphone integration, Cruze’s all-new Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system 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. Apple CarPlay takes the iPhone features owners want to access while driving and puts them on the vehicle’s display in a smart, simple manner. This allows drivers to make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. Apple CarPlay-supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and compatible third-party apps. A full list of those apps can be found at Apple.com/ios/carplay. Apple CarPlay is compatible with iOS 7.1 or higher. 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. A full list of supported apps is available at g.co/androidauto. Android Auto requires a phone running an Android Lollipop 5.0 operating system or higher. Using both applications is simple. A “Projection” icon on the MyLink screen is visible when a phone is not connected, then changes to indicate CarPlay or Android Auto when a compatible phone is connected via USB. Compatible apps need to be downloaded to a phone before using. Apple and Google’s privacy statements and terms of use apply. Data plan rates may also apply. Complementing MyLink to enhance Cruze’s connectivity is available OnStar with 4G LTE and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Safety has been given a lot of attention,  too, the news release says. The 2016 Cruze has a  new, stronger body structure that incorporates high-strength steel in key areas to enhance strength and crash protection by helping to prevent intrusion into passenger compartment. Cruze also returns with a segment-leading 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. Additional safety features include:

• 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.