The Chevrolet Cruze first entered the World Touring Car Championship in 2009 with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine, taking six wins in its debut season. The car has proved successful since its entry, with Yvan Muller winning the championship in 2010 and again in 2011 using the new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. Chevrolet placed first, second and third in 2011, with Muller finishing ahead of teammates Rob Huff and Alain Menu. Chevrolet finished 1–2–3 again in 2012, this time, Huff becoming champion ahead of Menu and Muller.
The Cruze also entered the British Touring Car Championship for 2010 and 2011. Jason Plato won the championship for Chevrolet in 2010 and finished 3rd in 2011. The BTCC Cruze used the 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine found in the original variant of the WTCC Cruze.
The Cruze won the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship in 2011, being run by NIKA Racing under the banner of ‘Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden’ with Rickard Rydell driving. Rydell and teammate Michel Nykjær finished second and third in 2012.
Chevrolet pulled their sponsorship at the end of 2011 from the BTCC to support the Chevrolet team in the World Touring Car Championship for 2012. Chevrolet then announced they would not enter a works team for the 2013 WTCC season. For 2013 RML, the original builders of the Cruzes, continued to compete without the support of Chevrolet. Cars were also entered by Bamboo Engineering, NIKA Racing and Tuenti Racing Team. Despite no funding from the manufacturer, the Cruze remained the car to beat, even against works teams from Honda and Lada. Muller won his fourth WTCC title, his third in a Cruze and James Nash won the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy for independent entries, ahead of fellow Cruze drivers Alex MacDowall and Michel Nykjær.
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