****, the '17 Malibu Premier with the 2.0T and the new 9AT does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and runs a low 14 second quarter mile. That's incredibly impressive. That's only with the 250HP/260 lb-ft configuration of the 2.0T. The new '18 Regal, with AWD, puts out 295 lb-ft.
They just need to get the balls to shove the 295 lb-ft (at least) configuration of the 2.0T in the Cruze and call it a day. It won't happen (despite the Cobalt SS selling pretty well for what it was - one **** of a performance car in the TC form), but we can dream!