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In 2008, GM introduced the Cruze compact car, carrying the "J300" internal designation. Mainly developed by GM Korea, this J300 iteration serves as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt, Daewoo Lacetti and Holden Astra compact cars. GM phased out production of the Cobalt and its badge engineered counterpart, the Pontiac G5 in 2010, just prior to the manufacturing of the Chevrolet Cruze was to commence. The first renderings of the Cruze were revealed by GM at a press conference on July 15, 2008, with the first official images released on August 21, 2008.

At the ceremony of the start of production of Cruze at Ohio, Mark Reuss, the president of GM's North American operations said, "This is everything for us". It is described as GM's most significant new vehicle introduction into North America since the Chapter 11 reorganization in 2009, and is GM's latest attempt to build a small size car that North American consumers would "buy because they like it – not simply because it is cheap".

Underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform, GM has confirmed the Cruze development program occurred under a global design and engineering team. GM Daewoo in South Korea played a leading role in the design and engineering of the Cruze, along with GM's German-based Opel division. This development program spanned over 27 months at a cost of US $4 billion. A total of 221 prototypes were tested in Australia, Canada, China, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Second Generation

The second-generation Cruze began sales in North America in early 2016, delayed a year by engineering changes. The Cruze has a new external design with a new split grille front and a fastback-like sloping roofline from the Chinese version of the fastback. This second generation Cruze has a slightly longer length and wheelbase than the one designed for the Chinese market, with different styling cues. It is also powered by the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 153 hp (114 kW) and 177 lb⋅ft (240 N⋅m) torque.

The 2016 Cruze comes equipped with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Capability features. However, only one of their phone brands at any one time can be used.

In January 2016, Chevrolet unveiled the five-door hatchback version of the North American Cruze at the North American International Auto Show. It went on sale in late 2016 as a 2017 model.

Trim levels continue to be L, LS, LT (now combined into one trim level, as opposed to the previous 1LT and 2LT designations), and Premier (replacing the previous LTZ trim level as the top-of-the-line Cruze trim level). Discontinued are the Eco and Diesel trim levels (at least for the time being).

All trim levels include a seven-inch MyLink touch-screen infotainment system with AM/FM radio, USB integration, a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary audio input jack, optional SiriusXM satellite radio, voice control, and CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, keyless entry, power windows, power door locks, OnStar with 4G/LTE/Wi-Fi Hotspot connectivity for multiple devices and RemoteLink via an app on the consumer's smartphone, air conditioning, and a 1.4-liter EcoTec inline-four engine.

Higher trim levels (LT and Premier) also offer features such as the "RS Sport Package", alloy wheels, remote start, keyless access with push-button ignition, a premium sound system by Bose with external amplifier and subwoofer, an eight-inch MyLink infotainment system with GPS navigation, a power tilt-and-sliding sunroof, and power seats. However, only the top-of-the-line Premier trim level offers heated leather seating surfaces, premium alloy wheels, and other luxury features.

The base L only offers a six-speed manual transmission, while the Premier, on the other end of the spectrum, offers only a six-speed automatic transmission. The LS and LT trim levels offer either a six-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed automatic transmission.

A new diesel-powered Cruze became available in 2017. It had the 1.6L turbodiesel also found in the 2018 Equinox, paired to either a nine-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.