Chevy Cruze latest GM vehicle to get engine-protecting splash shield

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze is better equipped to handle larger puddles than current vehicles are because it has an underbody splash shield.

The splash shield can help to protect the Cruze’s engine from water and debris when the vehicle slowly drives through a puddle of up to 12 inches. The shield also can minimize corrosion of the vehicle’s underbody.

General Motors (GM) added an underbody splash shield to 2012 vehicles, including the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Verano. However, the Chevy Cruze is the first of GM’s compact cars to receive a splash shield, GM spokesperson Bill Grotz says.