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2019 Chevrolet Cruze: What's Changed

img 1512501426 1533580660851 jpg 2019 Chevrolet Cruze | Manufacturer image

Most significant changes: An updated front bumper and a new multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen are standard. A manual transmission is no longer available.

Price change: MSRP on the LS sedan is $405 cheaper. The price of the base L sedan jumps $1,020 because an automatic transmission is now standard. Base prices are $200 higher on LT and Diesel models and unchanged on the Premier. The destination charge is unchanged at $875.

On sale: Fall 

Which should you buy, 2018 or 2019? Unless you had your heart set on a Cruze with a stick shift, the modest price increases make the 2019 models more attractive. Bigger discounts will be available on the 2018s, but the 2019s may reap higher resale value.

Chevrolet, like other brands, has the passenger car blues. Sales keep fading even as automakers add more standard features while they keep prices affordable.

Related: Chevrolet Updates Cruze, Malibu and Spark for 2019

Shop the 2019 Chevrolet Cruze near you

Used
2019 Chevrolet Cruze LT
87,824 mi.
$11,111
Used
2019 Chevrolet Cruze LT
78,925 mi.
$12,700

Such is the case with the Chevrolet Cruze, a compact model available in sedan and hatchback body styles. The only significant jumps in Cruze MSRP is because the six-speed manual transmission is gone from all models. For the base L sedan, the now-standard six-speed automatic pads the base price by $1,020 to $18,870. The LS sedan, though, is $405 cheaper at $19,995. (All prices include the destination charge.)

A new front bumper for all models incorporates a larger grille and new headlamps to give the Cruze a family resemblance to the Malibu and Spark, both also updated for 2019. Among other changes, a new standard multimedia system called Chevrolet Infotainment 3 comes with a 7-inch touchscreen. Remote start and automatic climate control are available on LT models and standard on the Premier trim, and the hatchback has a new LS trim. Both body styles are now available in LS, LT, Premier and Diesel trim levels, while the sedan also comes in the budget L trim. 

Gas models use a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine (153 horsepower, 177 pounds-feet of torque) and a six-speed automatic transmission. Diesel models have a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel engine (137 hp, 240 pounds-feet of torque) and a nine-speed automatic.

The Chevy Cruze line offers a choice of body styles and engines, though the diesel gets few takers in part because list prices start at more than $26,000. The gas engine is smooth, refined and economical, and all Chevrolet Cruze models come with a standard multimedia system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

The Cruze competes with compact cars such as the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla and Kia Forte.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Rick Popely

Contributor Rick Popely has covered the auto industry for decades and hosts a weekly online radio show on TalkZone.com.

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