Which Pixar film first introduced Cruz Ramirez?

Cars 3 first introduced Cruz Ramirez.

Cruz is a high-performance trainer assigned to help Lightning McQueen prepare for the Piston Cup season. She works at the Rust-eze Racing Center and initially relies on simulator data, modern exercise methods, and technical analysis. Her methods clash with Lightning's more traditional instincts, but their relationship develops as both characters learn from one another.

The film gives Cruz a major role in its story about aging champions and changing competition. Jackson Storm's success makes Lightning question whether he can keep up with newer racers. Cruz begins as his trainer, yet her own unrecognized racing ability becomes increasingly important as the plot progresses.

Cruz Ramirez is voiced by Cristela Alonzo. She is not present in Cars or Cars 2, although those films establish the racing world and characters that Cars 3 revisits. Her yellow design and energetic personality make her visually distinct from Lightning's red body and Doc Hudson's dark-blue appearance.