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Designed To Protect: Chevrolet Cruze Provides Consumers With The Most Standard Safety Features In Its Segment

2010-07-25

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Detroit – The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze enters the U.S. market in September with more standard safety features than any vehicle in its class, each contributing to Chevrolet’s goal of protecting passengers before, during and after a crash. Highlights include:

• Ten standard air bags – the most in the segment – including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and new knee air bags
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes
• Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries
• OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.

The Cruze’s safety development included testing at GM’s rollover test facility. It is the only manufacturer-owned rollover test facility in North America.

“We are very confident of the safety performance of the Cruze and believe it will prove to be one of the safest vehicles in the segment,” said Chuck Russell, vehicle line director. “To benefit our customers, we went way beyond requirements to exceed government safety mandates.”

The comprehensive list of standard safety features on all models includes:

• Dual-stage frontal 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)
• Front knee air bags
• Front passenger seat occupant sensing system
• Rollover sensing and protection system
• Collapsible pedal assembly
• Three-point safety belts in all five seating positions
• Safety belt retractor pretensioners and lap pretensioners in the driver and front-passenger positions
• Safety belt load limiters (with pretensioners) in the front safety belt retractors
• Child seat latching system with tethers in the rear seat.

In addition to safety features standard on all models, such as a tire pressure monitoring system, daytime running lamps and automatic headlamps, four-wheel disc brakes and rear-parking assist are standard on LTZ and available on LT models.

A strong foundation

The Cruze has a strong, unitized body structure that incorporates high-strength steel (HSS) in key areas to enhance strength and crash protection. It is used to help prevent intrusion into passenger compartment. The Cruze also features underbody main rails that extend from the front of the structure all the way to the rear, further enhancing the body’s strength and stiffness. A cross-structure beam behind the instrument panel anchors some vehicle features, while supporting the body during side-impact crashes.

Cruze’s safety has been recognized in markets around the globe where it is already sold. For example, it earned the top rating of five stars in European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) testing. According to EuroNCAP, the Cruze scored 79 points out of 100, making it one of the safest models in the passenger car class. The Cruze achieved 96 percent in adult occupant protection, making it the runner-up this year and beating all tested premium brands. The Cruze received a maximum 16 points in the frontal offset collision test and a maximum eight points in the side-impact crash test against a moving deformable barrier. The Cruze is the first passenger car to receive maximum scores in both tests since EuroNCAP began providing crash test ratings in 1997.

OnStar with Automatic Crash Response

OnStar is standard and includes Automatic Crash Response and its latest enhancement, Injury Severity Prediction. This feature helps OnStar advisors alert first responders when a vehicle crash is likely to have caused serious injury to the occupants.

With Automatic Crash Response, OnStar uses data from a collection of built-in vehicle sensors that can signal an advisor for help if the vehicle is involved in a moderate-to-severe frontal, rear or side-impact crash, regardless of whether an air bag deploys.

Injury Severity Prediction uses an algorithm based on critical crash details, such as severity and direction of impact force, air bag deployments and whether there were multiple impacts or a vehicle rollover, to inform an OnStar advisor if there is a high probability of severe injury to vehicle occupants. Advisors can then relay this to the 9-1-1 operator, helping first responders prepare for what they may likely encounter at the crash scene and provide faster, more tailored help for the injured.

With more than 14 years of experience, OnStar has provided assistance in nearly 140,000 Automatic Crash Responses and received more than one million emergency calls for help.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free" solutions including the Cruze Eco and Volt, both arriving in late 2010. Cruze Eco will offer up to an estimated 40 mpg highway while the Chevrolet Volt will offer up to 40 miles of electric, gas-free driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range (based on GM testing; official EPA estimates not yet available). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.