Chevrolet Will Cautiously Let Owners Wring More Power From the Cruze

Tarted-up production cars revealed at the SEMA show aren’t exactly the stuff of shocked gasps and hurriedly sent text messages to friends, but there’s often some useful gear to come out of the annual trade jamboree.

The blue window tinting and wheels on the pair of Blue Line “concepts” trotted out by Chevrolet ahead of the show likely impressed no one, but it’s what lies beneath that matters. Starting next year, the bowtie brand will let owners of its newly redesigned compact gain some extra horsepower in a manner that won’t void the warranty.

Yes, the Cruze is joining the tuner scene.

Well, the factory tuner scene, to be clear. In its own conservative way, the automaker plans to spice up the Cruze by offering factory performance bits from Chevrolet Accessories. The Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic have ruled the scene for too long, it seems, and the previous generation Cruze might have been too stodgy to pull it off.

Not so with the 2017 Cruze RS Hatchback, which Chevy will send to SEMA festooned with every appearance and performance part it could think up. Non-performance accessories are already available, while a performance brake package bows before year’s end. That upgrade sees the Cruze’s 10.9-inch front rotors swapped for vented and slotted 11.8-inch discs.

Appearance upgrades include ground effects and suspension lowering kits, rear spoilers and neat-o lighting, but you’ll have to wait before Chevy helps your 153-horsepower 1.4-liter turbo four breathe better. Starting in mid-2017, buyers — or owners — can order a performance air intake and exhaust system. If installed by the dealer, the vehicle’s warranty stays safe and sound.

The upgrades include a high-flow air filter and secondary inlet duct, along with a high-flow calibration exhaust system compliant in 50 states. Such a system could bring anywhere from five to 20 extra horsepower, though Chevy isn’t saying. It’s probably safe to expect the power gains to fall on the lower end of that range.

It’s a far cry from Golf R or Civic Type R territory, but anything that brings added grunt to the economy-minded Cruze is a good thing. Can you call it a hot hatch, though?

[Image: General Motors]