Chevy Cruze Loses Spare To Gain Fuel Efficiency
The all-new Chevrolet Cruze boasts outstanding fuel efficiency, with the ability to achieve up to 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway/30 mpg combined. But that didn’t satisfy Chevy engineers: To help deliver the most fuel-efficient gas-only compact in the U.S.—the Cruze Eco, which posts an EPA line of 28 mpg city/42 mpg highway/33 mpg combined—they made 42 unique changes to the Cruze, including swapping out a spare tire and jack for an onboard air-inflator system.
Not only does that help boost fuel efficiency by reducing the Cruze Eco’s curb weight by 26 lbs., but it also provides owners with a safer way to deal with flat tires.
“Getting rid of something as important as the spare tire wasn’t a decision we made lightly,” said Terry Connolly, GM director of Tire and Wheel Systems. “The universal implementation of tire pressure monitoring systems over the past five years has significantly reduced the likelihood that a flat tire will leave you stranded by the side of the road.”
In the Cruze Eco, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) can detect a low-pressure situation early, before tire damage occurs. The driver is then able to plug the trunk-mounted inflator into the car’s 12-volt interior accesory socket and repressurize the tire within minutes. Even if an object like a nail or screw punctures one of the Cruze’s tires, the system can be used to inject a special sealant capable of plugging tread holes up to a quarter inch in diameter. The whole process takes just minutes, and with much less risk than a tire change. (However, note that per GM, reinflated tires should always be inspected at a repair facility as soon as possible after the car gets get back on the road.)
And if a tire is too severely damaged to be repaired, the Cruze Eco offers an even easier option: With GM’s OnStar telematics system, drivers can simply press the blue OnStar button on the Cruze Eco’s rearview mirror and request emergency roadside assistance.
The easy-to-use air inflator also makes it simple to ensure the Cruze Eco’s tires are inflated correctly for optimum fuel efficiency.
“The Cruze engineering team equipped the Eco with industry-leading low rolling-resistance tires. Ensuring that they stay properly inflated will help drivers get the full benefit of this lower fuel consumption,” added Connolly. “Tire pressure actually changes about one pound per square inch for every 10 degrees of ambient temperature change. Keeping your tires at the recommended pressure year round means drivers won’t have to fill the fuel tank quite as often.”
Visit Zeigler Chevrolet today and get your new Chevy Cruze!
http://www.zeiglerchevroletschaumburg.com
what a great car. best buy for the money!
ReplyDeleteJust bought one it is awsome
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