Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 2.0 Diesel : Test Drive & Review

bashani · 20th October 2009, 12:11

Was out of town for a couple of days but had gotten word from a friend that they are tuning the ECM of the Cruze, today had a word with the dealer, he informed that some folks from GM are down there and are gonna tune the ECM to lower the turbo lag. That translates into even better 0-100 run timings, easier drivability in B2B traffic, probably FE figures might drop a bit (dunno for sure) & even lesser numbers for Skoda Laura

Can any of the fellow BHPians (Especially the ones who have already booked the Cruze) confirm this with their respective dealers and confirm?

harry10 · 20th October 2009, 14:42

While we went for a TD for Manza yesterday we thought of checking out Cruze as well as the GM showroom was nearby.

First impressions -
1. Looks imposing and highly aggressive from front. That grill is a Wow! It looks like a muscle car and very refreshing for Indian roads.
2. Rear is ok kinds and the tail lights looks like a mix and match of Altis and Civic(my opinion).
3. Interiors are quiet good and the feel of the steering is excellent. The controls on the steering are well put and just felt probably the horn could have been better.
4.- Audio system is not great but quiet good for a person who is not a audiophille.
5.- Liked the start stop feature and Engine is really silent while windows rolled up. Forgot to check the noise while windows rolled down.
6.- Gear shift is smooth and there is an evident turbo lag till 2000rpm. After that this car is a rocket. I was amazed when my cousin pointed out am on 120 in no time. Its a drivers car no doubt. After superb this is the only car which made me said Wow!
7.- Space is ok. It would be kinda uncomfortable for 3 people with 6 feet height in the back seat.
8.- Boot is quiet big as well.

If i had so much moolah right now would have taken this with eyes close cos for an enthusiast this is damn good.

VEA · 20th October 2009, 22:27

Did someone notice a dual bezel headlamp design on the Cruze? Thier website claims so! i did see something beneath the bulb which kind of splits the headlamp into two. the sales people seems to be clueless as usual.

Shan2nu · 21st October 2009, 00:03

Quote:

Was out of town for a couple of days but had gotten word from a friend that they are tuning the ECM of the Cruze, today had a word with the dealer, he informed that some folks from GM are down there and are gonna tune the ECM to lower the turbo lag. That translates into even better 0-100 run timings

Lowering turbo lag wont affect the 0-100 timings as a standing launch is done with the rpm already in the boost zone.

Shan2nu

varunjain · 21st October 2009, 09:39

Hey people,
I am getting the delivery of the car today... Shall post soon..

bashani · 21st October 2009, 10:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

Lowering turbo lag wont affect the 0-100 timings as a standing launch is done with the rpm already in the boost zone.

Shan2nu

Completely Agree with that, a person ripping it from 0-100 would keep it in the meat of the power zone at all times. This was told to me by the sales guy and I didn't think much of it then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by varunjain

Hey people,
I am getting the delivery of the car today... Shall post soon..

Congratulations varunjain, looking forward to see some pictures soon.
My car is here but will be delivered on the 26th.

rajeevn · 21st October 2009, 13:10

Wonderful review by TSK, covering all possible aspects of the car and its performance, etc. Great show.

While the open-road performance is obviously stunning, the in-city narration says that GM may have just killed a large part of the market, as far as the Cruze is concerned.

Great review, TSK, thanks.

Shan2nu · 21st October 2009, 13:26

Quote:

Evidently not too hard for Vtec owners . I had a recent splash & dash trip to Pune. Member R.P.M., who was riding shotgun, commented "The revv needle has stayed above 5,000 rpms for a majority of the drive"

Wow, you must have reached Pune in no time. As impressive as these low revving turbo diesels maybe. They're no substitue to the kind of fun you can have with a high revving NA machine.

Shan2nu

harishsegar · 21st October 2009, 18:17

Hope they give the ECM tuning as an option rather than as a standard fitment.

Pradeep2612 · 21st October 2009, 19:50

I went for a TD this Sunday and the feel of acceleration was an OUT OF THE WORLD EXPERIENCE, I was stuck to the seat . Planning to buy it by Jan 2010. Would like to get more reviews on it before I settle for it.

thegman · 22nd October 2009, 08:35

Hi Guys,
Just visited the Chevy Showroom in Pune. Sat in the car and fiddled around [no td because the car plates had not yet come].

The dealer tells me that the automatic will take atleast another 6 months to arrive[i previously thought that availability would be ~jan 2010]!

He also tells me that the cost of the LTZ would be 14.75 on the road pune. Is this correct or is it at a premium [i thought it would be closer to 13.75]?

Apparently they was delivered a consignment of 14 cars and all except 1 black one all have been already booked.

Notes from my experience:
-The car looks simply awesome in the Flesh. No matter which angle youve looked at it in the pics it looks MUCH better in the flesh. Reminds me a bit of a scaled down Honda Accord and definitely comes with that WOW factor.

-Build quality is really good

-I loved the grey color scheme and the leather seats are really plush

-The front passenger seat is NOT height adjustable. I am 6,3 and my hair was touching the roof which was not a very good feeling. Because of the sun roof, the in-ceiling of the car protrudes a bit for the sunroof motors just around the cutout [going to the showroom again today so will try and readjust the seat and see if it still an issue]. Any idea if the seats of these cars can be permanently adjusted to a lower height setting?

-Plastics felt good and pretty much on par with the other stuff in this segment. Definitely prefer it to the faux wood in the Altis.

-The Spedo,rev and the central console LOOK AWESOME. Definitely inspires the WOW factor

-All dials and the steering had a very solid and classy feel to it.

-Wish the steering had a a more spongy touch, its a little 'hard' stock-standard but
nothing that a good steering cover/grip cant fix.

-There is NO usb port. I cant understand why chevy would do away with it. Aux is present but NO USB? C'mon chevy its almost 2010 for heavens sake!!

-Headroom at the rear is a Problem. I had the same issue with the AWD Jaguar X type which I drove for over a year. Because of the 'Coupe' type design the rear headroom is very compromised. Not too bothered because I'll be driving most of the time but considering this is an AMERICAN car, and that Americans are generally a larger people, I would have expected more room in the cabin, which is IMO on the verge of being a tad cramped.

-Boot is huge!

The sales guy didnt know what 'Turbo-lag' was, apparently he's not a car fan...hehe

I'm pretty much in Love with the car and can just imagine throwing her around on the ghats

Will note any other observations after I visit the dealership later today.

[Planning to buy either this or the Altis around Jan.]

varunjain · 22nd October 2009, 10:18

I ripped my new cruze the entire evening yesterday. I did post some pictures and comments, but I dont know why it has not been uploaded. I am new here, so if any of you could help me out, it would be great.

However, here is my feeling of the car-
The car is really "stable". I touched 160 kmph, and it was 'makkhan'. The pickup, wow its awesome. I have an innova, but with this cruze, overtaking has completely changed. I can feel the punch when I floor the accelerator. "Turbo Lag" is evident below 1700 rpm, I guess I have to get used to changing gears. I am 6' tall, and leg space is not a problem.

The suspension was pretty good, the ride was smooth. I still have to figure out the door locking, and automatic door locking.

One more thing, my Dad noticed, is that , at night the headlight of the car/bike approaching- it is a bit uncomfortable. A round headlight, with lines going out, like rays of sun. Hence, one can see only the headlights and limited sight beyond. Maybe I am assuming, or something, but there is a little problem there. I ll give more feedback on that, once I use it more often.

My friends and acquaintances who tried the car (these are people who have laura, civic, pajero, and the likes) came out with a feeling "WOW".

If you guys have any questions about the car please feel free to ask, I shall give all answers that I can. I still have to receive the service manual. Once I do that, I shall scan it- so that I can send it to anyone who is interested. Or can post it somewhere.

Regards,

Hey guys,
Please find below the new thread created by Team-bhp. "My new chevy cruze". My posts have been moved there.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...al-report.html

bashani · 22nd October 2009, 16:22

Checked my white out, yes they are re-tuning the car for the issue of initial turbo lag.
Attaching a few pictures of my car other than that i saw 3 other colors, first one was the regular dark blue the second one was a garish beige/golden and the 3rd and almighty black, was completely floored. Felt like canceling my white and ordering a black but sanity prevailed.
People black is the one to look out for.

rosh2 · 22nd October 2009, 16:27

Must be me- but even after seeing the black, I still prefer the white. Anyone see the red one in person? it looks awesome in pics.

Vid6639 · 22nd October 2009, 16:37

I met up with some guys from GM India yesterday and got a chance to drive the Chevy Cruze.

After the drive I noticed that quite a few things match with Tanveer's review so I'm not going to repeat that.

The differences I noticed were that the car really does not have that much lag. The acceleration is very linear and does not even jerk suddenly at 2000rpm. The acceleration increases rapidly after 2000rpm but not suddenly. As a result you don't realise the crazy speeds it can reach. The car behaves like any NA car below 2000rpm and after that it's just madness and you just pray for dear life.

The clutch spring is indeed very strong and takes some time getting used to because of the rebound. The spring actually pushes your foot back and can be a bit frustrating in traffic.

Ride and handling is mind blowing and much better than the Civic and Altis. Special mention goes to the NVH levels. I have not driven a quieter engine ever. At idle or full song, the sound of the engine will not anyone believe that it is a diesel. I mean the engine makes lesser sound than the new Merc C220 CDI.

After driving the Cruze my Altis is just a plain bore.

The Cruze is like a diesel Skoda vRS on steroids.

The GM guys told me that the pricing is introductory and may need to be revised in Jan next year as they have completely loaded the car.

20th October 2009, 12:11	#361
bashani BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Nasik Posts: 73 Thanked: 0 Times	Dealers re-tuning the Cruze? Was out of town for a couple of days but had gotten word from a friend that they are tuning the ECM of the Cruze, today had a word with the dealer, he informed that some folks from GM are down there and are gonna tune the ECM to lower the turbo lag. That translates into even better 0-100 run timings, easier drivability in B2B traffic, probably FE figures might drop a bit (dunno for sure) & even lesser numbers for Skoda Laura Can any of the fellow BHPians (Especially the ones who have already booked the Cruze) confirm this with their respective dealers and confirm? Last edited by bashani : 20th October 2009 at 12:13.
	() Thanks

20th October 2009, 14:42	#362
harry10 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 2,713 Thanked: 3,634 Times View My Garage	While we went for a TD for Manza yesterday we thought of checking out Cruze as well as the GM showroom was nearby. First impressions - 1. Looks imposing and highly aggressive from front. That grill is a Wow! It looks like a muscle car and very refreshing for Indian roads. 2. Rear is ok kinds and the tail lights looks like a mix and match of Altis and Civic(my opinion). 3. Interiors are quiet good and the feel of the steering is excellent. The controls on the steering are well put and just felt probably the horn could have been better. 4.- Audio system is not great but quiet good for a person who is not a audiophille. 5.- Liked the start stop feature and Engine is really silent while windows rolled up. Forgot to check the noise while windows rolled down. 6.- Gear shift is smooth and there is an evident turbo lag till 2000rpm. After that this car is a rocket. I was amazed when my cousin pointed out am on 120 in no time. Its a drivers car no doubt. After superb this is the only car which made me said Wow! 7.- Space is ok. It would be kinda uncomfortable for 3 people with 6 feet height in the back seat. 8.- Boot is quiet big as well. If i had so much moolah right now would have taken this with eyes close cos for an enthusiast this is damn good.
	() Thanks

20th October 2009, 22:27	#363
VEA BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cochin Posts: 208 Thanked: 151 Times	Did someone notice a dual bezel headlamp design on the Cruze? Thier website claims so! i did see something beneath the bulb which kind of splits the headlamp into two. the sales people seems to be clueless as usual.
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 09:39	#365
varunjain BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kolhapur Posts: 34 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Cruze delivery today Hey people, I am getting the delivery of the car today... Shall post soon..
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 13:10	#367
rajeevn BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 156 Thanked: 217 Times	Wonderful review by TSK, covering all possible aspects of the car and its performance, etc. Great show. While the open-road performance is obviously stunning, the in-city narration says that GM may have just killed a large part of the market, as far as the Cruze is concerned. Great review, TSK, thanks.
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 18:17	#369
harishsegar BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 178 Thanked: 2 Times	Hope they give the ECM tuning as an option rather than as a standard fitment.
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 19:50	#370
Pradeep2612 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	I went for a TD this Sunday and the feel of acceleration was an OUT OF THE WORLD EXPERIENCE, I was stuck to the seat . Planning to buy it by Jan 2010. Would like to get more reviews on it before I settle for it.
	() Thanks

22nd October 2009, 08:35	#371
thegman BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 102 Thanked: 19 Times	Hi Guys, Just visited the Chevy Showroom in Pune. Sat in the car and fiddled around [no td because the car plates had not yet come]. The dealer tells me that the automatic will take atleast another 6 months to arrive[i previously thought that availability would be ~jan 2010]! He also tells me that the cost of the LTZ would be 14.75 on the road pune. Is this correct or is it at a premium [i thought it would be closer to 13.75]? Apparently they was delivered a consignment of 14 cars and all except 1 black one all have been already booked. Notes from my experience: -The car looks simply awesome in the Flesh. No matter which angle youve looked at it in the pics it looks MUCH better in the flesh. Reminds me a bit of a scaled down Honda Accord and definitely comes with that WOW factor. -Build quality is really good -I loved the grey color scheme and the leather seats are really plush -The front passenger seat is NOT height adjustable. I am 6,3 and my hair was touching the roof which was not a very good feeling. Because of the sun roof, the in-ceiling of the car protrudes a bit for the sunroof motors just around the cutout [going to the showroom again today so will try and readjust the seat and see if it still an issue]. Any idea if the seats of these cars can be permanently adjusted to a lower height setting? -Plastics felt good and pretty much on par with the other stuff in this segment. Definitely prefer it to the faux wood in the Altis. -The Spedo,rev and the central console LOOK AWESOME. Definitely inspires the WOW factor -All dials and the steering had a very solid and classy feel to it. -Wish the steering had a a more spongy touch, its a little 'hard' stock-standard but nothing that a good steering cover/grip cant fix. -There is NO usb port. I cant understand why chevy would do away with it. Aux is present but NO USB? C'mon chevy its almost 2010 for heavens sake!! -Headroom at the rear is a Problem. I had the same issue with the AWD Jaguar X type which I drove for over a year. Because of the 'Coupe' type design the rear headroom is very compromised. Not too bothered because I'll be driving most of the time but considering this is an AMERICAN car, and that Americans are generally a larger people, I would have expected more room in the cabin, which is IMO on the verge of being a tad cramped. -Boot is huge! The sales guy didnt know what 'Turbo-lag' was, apparently he's not a car fan...hehe I'm pretty much in Love with the car and can just imagine throwing her around on the ghats Will note any other observations after I visit the dealership later today. [Planning to buy either this or the Altis around Jan.]
	() Thanks

22nd October 2009, 10:18	#372
varunjain BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kolhapur Posts: 34 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	I ripped my new cruze the entire evening yesterday. I did post some pictures and comments, but I dont know why it has not been uploaded. I am new here, so if any of you could help me out, it would be great. However, here is my feeling of the car- The car is really "stable". I touched 160 kmph, and it was 'makkhan'. The pickup, wow its awesome. I have an innova, but with this cruze, overtaking has completely changed. I can feel the punch when I floor the accelerator. "Turbo Lag" is evident below 1700 rpm, I guess I have to get used to changing gears. I am 6' tall, and leg space is not a problem. The suspension was pretty good, the ride was smooth. I still have to figure out the door locking, and automatic door locking. One more thing, my Dad noticed, is that , at night the headlight of the car/bike approaching- it is a bit uncomfortable. A round headlight, with lines going out, like rays of sun. Hence, one can see only the headlights and limited sight beyond. Maybe I am assuming, or something, but there is a little problem there. I ll give more feedback on that, once I use it more often. My friends and acquaintances who tried the car (these are people who have laura, civic, pajero, and the likes) came out with a feeling "WOW". If you guys have any questions about the car please feel free to ask, I shall give all answers that I can. I still have to receive the service manual. Once I do that, I shall scan it- so that I can send it to anyone who is interested. Or can post it somewhere. Regards, Hey guys, Please find below the new thread created by Team-bhp. "My new chevy cruze". My posts have been moved there. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...al-report.html Last edited by Jaggu : 22nd October 2009 at 10:28. Reason: back to back posts, please EDIT the original post after its approved, if you want to add. thanks
	() Thanks

22nd October 2009, 16:22	#373
bashani BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Nasik Posts: 73 Thanked: 0 Times	Saw one in black Checked my white out, yes they are re-tuning the car for the issue of initial turbo lag. Attaching a few pictures of my car other than that i saw 3 other colors, first one was the regular dark blue the second one was a garish beige/golden and the 3rd and almighty black, was completely floored. Felt like canceling my white and ordering a black but sanity prevailed. People black is the one to look out for. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

22nd October 2009, 16:27	#374
rosh2 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: God's Own Country Posts: 40 Thanked: 3 Times	Must be me- but even after seeing the black, I still prefer the white. Anyone see the red one in person? it looks awesome in pics.
	() Thanks

22nd October 2009, 16:37	#375
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,486 Times View My Garage	I met up with some guys from GM India yesterday and got a chance to drive the Chevy Cruze. After the drive I noticed that quite a few things match with Tanveer's review so I'm not going to repeat that. The differences I noticed were that the car really does not have that much lag. The acceleration is very linear and does not even jerk suddenly at 2000rpm. The acceleration increases rapidly after 2000rpm but not suddenly. As a result you don't realise the crazy speeds it can reach. The car behaves like any NA car below 2000rpm and after that it's just madness and you just pray for dear life. The clutch spring is indeed very strong and takes some time getting used to because of the rebound. The spring actually pushes your foot back and can be a bit frustrating in traffic. Ride and handling is mind blowing and much better than the Civic and Altis. Special mention goes to the NVH levels. I have not driven a quieter engine ever. At idle or full song, the sound of the engine will not anyone believe that it is a diesel. I mean the engine makes lesser sound than the new Merc C220 CDI. After driving the Cruze my Altis is just a plain bore. The Cruze is like a diesel Skoda vRS on steroids. The GM guys told me that the pricing is introductory and may need to be revised in Jan next year as they have completely loaded the car. Last edited by Vid6639 : 22nd October 2009 at 16:40.
	() Thanks