What platform is the Chevy Cruze on?
The Chevy Cruze is built on GM's Delta II platform, a global compact-car chassis used across GM brands.
Delta II is a front-wheel-drive, modular architecture that underpins Cruze designs and enables cross-brand engineering for markets worldwide, including North America, Europe, and Australia. This shared foundation helps GM align parts, manufacturing, and engineering across different regional models while tailoring tuning to local preferences and regulations.
Delta II: GM's global compact-car backbone
Delta II was introduced to standardize the construction of compact cars across multiple GM brands and regions. It supports a range of body styles and powertrains, allowing vehicles such as the Cruze, Verano, Astra, and Holden models to share key components and engineering concepts while differing in styling and features to suit each market.
Models sharing Delta II with the Cruze
The following examples illustrate how the Delta II platform underpins several GM compact cars alongside the Cruze. This cross-brand approach is a core part of GM's global strategy for small cars.
- Chevrolet Cruze (global markets)
- Buick Verano (North America)
- Opel/Vauxhall Astra J (Europe)
- Holden Cruze (Australia)
These examples show the platform's cross-market utility and how Cruze benefits from shared parts and engineering.
Generations of the Cruze on Delta II
There have been two major generations of the Cruze that used the Delta II platform, with updates along the way to meet safety and efficiency standards. The first generation launched in 2008 and ran through about 2016; a second generation followed from 2016 onward in many markets, staying on the same Delta II skeleton with refinements.
- First-generation Cruze (approximately 2008–2016): global deployment with hatchback and sedan variants, built on Delta II.
- Second-generation Cruze (approximately 2016–2019/2020 in key markets): redesigned on the same Delta II skeleton with updated styling and technology.
The Cruze's Delta II foundation has allowed GM to adjust powertrains, safety tech, and infotainment while keeping a common chassis.
Technical notes: engines and driveline tendencies
Engine choices varied by market, but the Delta II Cruze family typically offered small-displacement petrol engines (including turbocharged variants in many regions), as well as diesel options in some markets. Most versions were front-wheel drive with manual or automatic transmissions, depending on trim and market.
What this means for buyers and markets
For buyers, the Delta II platform translates into familiar parts availability, serviceability, and a shared engineering DNA across regions. It also explains why the Cruze shares a common backbone with other GM compact cars, even as styling and feature sets differ by country.
Summary
In short, the Chevrolet Cruze sits on GM's Delta II platform, a modular, front-wheel-drive architecture that underpins several GM compact cars worldwide and enables cross-brand engineering and parts sharing across markets.
What is the Chevy Cruze comparable to?
Between the Chevy Cruze vs. Hyundai Elantra, the Cruze will save drivers quite a bit in annual fueling costs. The standard engine, a 1.4L turbo, generates up to 40 mpg on the highway. That surpasses the Hyundai Elantra's standard 2.0L 4-cylinder, which reaches an EPA-estimated 36 mpg on the highway.
Why did Chevy discontinue the Cruze?
Chevy discontinued the Cruze primarily because of a nationwide shift in consumer preference away from sedans and toward SUVs and trucks. This market trend, coupled with General Motors' strategic decision to focus its efforts and capital on developing more profitable crossover SUVs and its future lineup of electric vehicles, led to the Cruze's production ending in North America in 2019.
- Consumer preference: Consumers began choosing SUVs over sedans, leading to lower sales for compact cars like the Cruze.
- Strategic shift: GM decided to focus on more popular and profitable vehicle types, such as SUVs and trucks.
- Focus on electric vehicles: GM began investing heavily in its future lineup of all-electric vehicles, which led to phasing out many of its traditional gasoline-powered sedans and compact cars.
- Cost-cutting measures: The discontinuation was also part of a broader cost-cutting plan by GM that included closing plants and reducing the workforce.
What is the Ford version of the Chevy Cruze?
Ford Focus
The 2017 Chevy Cruze and the Ford Focus are both available as either a compact sedan or hatchback and are designed to seat 5. Exterior sculpt and features are similar between the two models but on the inside, you'll find that the Cruze has some important advantages.
What platform is the Chevy Cruze built on?
GM Delta II platform
Underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform, GM has confirmed the Cruze development program occurred under a global design and engineering team.
