Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 2.0 Diesel : Test Drive & Review

jkdas · 6th October 2009, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

No, the middle protusion is not significant, but since the car is narrow, 3 will have a hard time fitting in. This is the car for the driver, the back seat passenger will feel pretty short changed.
There is nothing for the rear passenger. Not much room, no AC, and an upright back seat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

An upright seat is surprising considering the Optra is known to have one of most comfortable back seats around.

They should have made the rear more comfortable IMHO. Seating 3 in the Optra's rear was an issue and they hope this is sorted in this. Sonata/Civic/Altis(?) etc will win here else, the only saving factor is the big diesel engine. Hope it works out.

Pretty happy and this shows how GM sees India during the lean period.

romeomidhun · 6th October 2009, 17:51

Cruze will be launched on 12th?.

ac 427 · 6th October 2009, 18:20

nice review:

1) the backlit is absolutely amazing: better than the white / boring greens happening in the current cars.

2) The press start to 'start' is a amazing feature. its exactly a 'aha' factor in this car.

3) the actual keyless entry is another 'aha' factor of this car.

4) cruise control: I used to extensively when i was driving mumbai - delhi. On the expressways the cruise control feature is amazing.

5) I see The cruze being priced just around 14 lacs. But i dont see myself buying this car over the laura - ambiente or the sonata

6) Nice car : love the interiors but hate the exteriors. From the pics the rear seating looks cramped.

Thought tsk does this car have ESP ? if you have covred that I have missed it.

cheers,
ac

GTO · 6th October 2009, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

An upright seat is surprising considering the Optra is known to have one of most comfortable back seats around.

If hearsay is anything to go by, the Indian car has had the backseat made a little more upright + that much more legroom released at the back (compared to international versions).

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac 427

Thought tsk does this car have ESP ? if you have covred that I have missed it.

Nope, no ESP on the Indian Cruze.

Rudra Sen · 6th October 2009, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

An upright seat is surprising considering the Optra is known to have one of most comfortable back seats around.

I think they've increased the boot space in terms of depth. Length difference between Optra and Cruze can't be huge.

harry10 · 6th October 2009, 18:39

Excellent review Tsk.
The thing i love most about the reviews on T-bhp is that every single part of the car is reviewed in an unbiased manner.

Most of the times just read the review and you dont even feel to drive the car yourself as every fact is in front of you clearly!

gomzi · 6th October 2009, 18:47

An excellent review tsk!

The very descriptive review and detailed pics made me feel as if I was right there looking at the car along with you!

This is why I love this site, unbiased reviews straight from the gut and seem more professional than the car mags.

Bubby · 6th October 2009, 18:49

Fantastic review Tanveer, brilliant pictures, its a yummy mouth watering prospect if priced correctly.

shreyasmrao · 6th October 2009, 18:59

I had my sneak peek at Kropex. Tomorrow is the launch by GM to dealers for Bangalore at Taj West End and release for test drives etc on the 12th (Launch for Customers).

GM has compiled a detailed comparision over Altis, Civic, Jetta and Laura (Obviously it says Cruze is the best

), so ask for this at the dealerships. They mention all ex Showroom prices of Delhi and claim to be lesser price for more value than the civic, so this means the price is going to be lesser than that of Civic. Dimensions are the best over almost all of them with respect to length and width (so I really dont understand how they managed to cramp it up), but it felt okay with me sitting in the drivers seat 6' and my colleague sitting behind 5'10'', so am not really worried on this, however being upright behind is a problem, not enough to push me away from the car though. The biggest boot I think over most C Segment cars akso

I would have also liked a adjustable lumbar support and electrical seat adjustments and HID Head Lamps and also Head Lamp wipers which would have really loaded this up. European / US version is supposed to have an integrated blue tooth kit (wonder why they strip cars for us).

I think if the Cruze does not suit me well, I might as well as go in for an Optra Magnum. Does anybody have an idea whether it is scheduled for a phase off (confirmed by GM) as the dealer says it will be on the market.

Hoping for a good price

Zappo · 6th October 2009, 19:07

Amazing review with great pics, no doubt yet another A1 review.

After getting to know this car better one question easily pops-up in my mind. We have seen how constricted the rear seat looks. Almost as if the front row guys are sitting on your lap. And this after GM did some tinkering with the rear seat geometry to make some more space in the rear in comparison to the international model. Now I wonder whether that left this car neither here nor there. In India a 14 lakh car is rarely bought by a young enthusiast to zip around the highways of this country. At least that kind does not make for a good number to justify business sense. The actual numbers for such cars come from 40+ execs who are mostly chauffer driven. I wonder for such guys whether this car will not turn out to be a little too much of a raw deal!

Yes, those few young, enthusiasts and the counted few execs who love to drive themself and zip around in their own car will definitely find this car a hoot to drive. Particularly those long distance sojourns across the GQ will be real fun.

9thsphinx · 6th October 2009, 19:31

With such intricate details, i can almost feel like ive test driven the car myself....
Fantastic review

blackasta · 6th October 2009, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo

Yes, those few young, enthusiasts and the counted few execs who love to drive themself and zip around in their own car will definitely find this car a hoot to drive. Particularly those long distance sojourns across the GQ will be real fun.

Maybe chevy could test the waters with a limited number of cruz coupes?

It's high time coupes are introduced in India - both me and my dad would have got one if they were available in hatchbacks. 90% of the time we are alone driving our cars.

Cesc · 6th October 2009, 19:45

That's a GREAT review.

Does it have Xenons? From the night pics it looks as if it doesn't.

To Sid's message on Cruz Coupes .. boy that would definitely be nice.

sammyboy · 6th October 2009, 20:29

Fantastic review Tanveer. Was eagerly waiting for more information on the Cruze and this had everything one could ask for. Just one question, is the rear floor flat like the Civic or is the hump (forgot what u call it

) present ?

KRf1 · 6th October 2009, 20:33

Great review Tsk .
So is this the beginning of the end of the ugly new Laura and the boring Jetta ?
It looks ready to shake things up in the diesel category (10-16 lakhs) .
But how did they miss a dead pedal ?
Anyone can open the door from outside while you are in ! This can be quite scary on our notorious signals with eunuchs etc .
Anyways looks brilliant , engine is a stonker and a diesel too , beige interiors , nice warranty , lots of gizmos and lots of chrome . Recipe for success in India ?
Chevy might just have hit the jackpot . If nothing else , this car might revive the falling brand . It might just be back in black !

6th October 2009, 17:51	#47
romeomidhun BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 3,282 Thanked: 4,876 Times	Launching tomorrow Cruze will be launched on 12th?. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 18:20	#48
ac 427 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,393 Thanked: 244 Times View My Garage	nice review: 1) the backlit is absolutely amazing: better than the white / boring greens happening in the current cars. 2) The press start to 'start' is a amazing feature. its exactly a 'aha' factor in this car. 3) the actual keyless entry is another 'aha' factor of this car. 4) cruise control: I used to extensively when i was driving mumbai - delhi. On the expressways the cruise control feature is amazing. 5) I see The cruze being priced just around 14 lacs. But i dont see myself buying this car over the laura - ambiente or the sonata 6) Nice car : love the interiors but hate the exteriors. From the pics the rear seating looks cramped. Thought tsk does this car have ESP ? if you have covred that I have missed it. cheers, ac
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 18:39	#51
harry10 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 2,712 Thanked: 3,622 Times View My Garage	Excellent review Tsk. The thing i love most about the reviews on T-bhp is that every single part of the car is reviewed in an unbiased manner. Most of the times just read the review and you dont even feel to drive the car yourself as every fact is in front of you clearly!
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 18:47	#52
gomzi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 798 Thanked: 236 Times	A Most Excellent Review! An excellent review tsk! The very descriptive review and detailed pics made me feel as if I was right there looking at the car along with you! This is why I love this site, unbiased reviews straight from the gut and seem more professional than the car mags.
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 18:49	#53
Bubby BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 503 Thanked: 168 Times	Fantastic review Tanveer, brilliant pictures, its a yummy mouth watering prospect if priced correctly.
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 18:59	#54
shreyasmrao BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 32 Thanked: 26 Times	I had my sneak peek at Kropex. Tomorrow is the launch by GM to dealers for Bangalore at Taj West End and release for test drives etc on the 12th (Launch for Customers). GM has compiled a detailed comparision over Altis, Civic, Jetta and Laura (Obviously it says Cruze is the best ), so ask for this at the dealerships. They mention all ex Showroom prices of Delhi and claim to be lesser price for more value than the civic, so this means the price is going to be lesser than that of Civic. Dimensions are the best over almost all of them with respect to length and width (so I really dont understand how they managed to cramp it up), but it felt okay with me sitting in the drivers seat 6' and my colleague sitting behind 5'10'', so am not really worried on this, however being upright behind is a problem, not enough to push me away from the car though. The biggest boot I think over most C Segment cars akso I would have also liked a adjustable lumbar support and electrical seat adjustments and HID Head Lamps and also Head Lamp wipers which would have really loaded this up. European / US version is supposed to have an integrated blue tooth kit (wonder why they strip cars for us). I think if the Cruze does not suit me well, I might as well as go in for an Optra Magnum. Does anybody have an idea whether it is scheduled for a phase off (confirmed by GM) as the dealer says it will be on the market. Hoping for a good price Last edited by shreyasmrao : 6th October 2009 at 19:13. Reason: Some more points to add that I forgot
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 19:07	#55
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,919 Thanked: 2,652 Times	Amazing review with great pics, no doubt yet another A1 review. After getting to know this car better one question easily pops-up in my mind. We have seen how constricted the rear seat looks. Almost as if the front row guys are sitting on your lap. And this after GM did some tinkering with the rear seat geometry to make some more space in the rear in comparison to the international model. Now I wonder whether that left this car neither here nor there. In India a 14 lakh car is rarely bought by a young enthusiast to zip around the highways of this country. At least that kind does not make for a good number to justify business sense. The actual numbers for such cars come from 40+ execs who are mostly chauffer driven. I wonder for such guys whether this car will not turn out to be a little too much of a raw deal! Yes, those few young, enthusiasts and the counted few execs who love to drive themself and zip around in their own car will definitely find this car a hoot to drive. Particularly those long distance sojourns across the GQ will be real fun.
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 19:31	#56
9thsphinx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 1,118 Thanked: 542 Times View My Garage	With such intricate details, i can almost feel like ive test driven the car myself.... Fantastic review
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 19:45	#58
Cesc BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Philly, Gurgaon Posts: 651 Thanked: 286 Times	That's a GREAT review. Does it have Xenons? From the night pics it looks as if it doesn't. To Sid's message on Cruz Coupes .. boy that would definitely be nice.
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 20:29	#59
sammyboy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ggn/Dehradun Posts: 1,842 Thanked: 521 Times View My Garage	Fantastic review Tanveer. Was eagerly waiting for more information on the Cruze and this had everything one could ask for. Just one question, is the rear floor flat like the Civic or is the hump (forgot what u call it ) present ?
	() Thanks

6th October 2009, 20:33	#60
KRf1 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NCR / BLR Posts: 339 Thanked: 3 Times	Great review Tsk . So is this the beginning of the end of the ugly new Laura and the boring Jetta ? It looks ready to shake things up in the diesel category (10-16 lakhs) . But how did they miss a dead pedal ? Anyone can open the door from outside while you are in ! This can be quite scary on our notorious signals with eunuchs etc . Anyways looks brilliant , engine is a stonker and a diesel too , beige interiors , nice warranty , lots of gizmos and lots of chrome . Recipe for success in India ? Chevy might just have hit the jackpot . If nothing else , this car might revive the falling brand . It might just be back in black !
	() Thanks