The Chevrolet Cruze sedan has yet to enter production for the United States market, but rumors are already beginning to surface about future variants of the four-door. The Cruze has been in production for well over a year in many global markets, but was first shown in the U.S. at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
According to Motor Trend, General Motors is considering two new variants for the Cruze’s Delta platform – a four-door coupe along the lines of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and a high-performance Cruze SS.
Although it remains to be seen if the Delta-based four-door coupe would carry the Cruze name, it would employ the same wheelbase as the Cruze and be sold under the Chevrolet banner. The new model would give GM an added stream of increased revenue as the four-door coupe would undoubtedly carry a higher sticker price than the Cruze, despite its similar Delta roots. Chevrolet could also use the four-door coupe as a stepping stone towards the Camaro.
In addition to the four-door coupe, it is also rumored that GM is considering a high-performance SS version of the Cruze sedan. Like the Chevy Cobalt SS, the Cruze SS would use GM’s 260 horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. Although the standard Cruze will only be available in front-wheel drive, the SS version could borrow the all-wheel drive system from GM’s Epsilon platform, ensuring that power doesn’t end up as a cloud of tire smoke.
As the Cruze has taken so long to reach the U.S. market, it should come as no surprise that the Cruze variants are still several years off. The Cruze SS isn’t expected until at least 2013 with the four-door coupe a year or two behind that.
