Chevrolet Cruze LTZ - Ownership Report EDIT: SOLD after 115000 km!

diveshsingh · 19th January 2010, 22:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1-Testosterone

Apart from AT, is there anything which Cruze Automatic boasts of (when compared with Manual LTZ variant?)

Disappointingly No! I was expecting a traction control system as an added feature with auto

Sudan_NFS · 20th January 2010, 00:13

Nice car and a good review for this car.
Hope your are enjoying every bit of this car and crunching all the power the car has.
Happy and safe driving!.

Pradeep2612 · 20th January 2010, 08:25

Hey Sameer,

Congrats of the Awesome Looking Car. I'm planning to book it by this month end.
Could you please let me know if you can upload the copy of the Owners Manual.

Thanks.

sameer sultan · 20th January 2010, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudan_NFS

Nice car and a good review for this car.
Hope your are enjoying every bit of this car and crunching all the power the car has.
Happy and safe driving!.

Thank You Sudan. Safe Driving!! Thats a very important thing to follow behind the wheel of the Cruze ;-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pradeep2612

Hey Sameer,

Congrats of the Awesome Looking Car. I'm planning to book it by this month end.
Could you please let me know if you can upload the copy of the Owners Manual.

Thanks.

Many Thanks Pradeep. You have made a good choice and advance congrats for your Cruze. Which color and variant have you decided? Not very sure how I can upload the owners manual. its such a thick booklet!!!

Pradeep2612 · 20th January 2010, 13:11

Many Thanks Pradeep. You have made a good choice and advance congrats for your Cruze. Which color and variant have you decided? Not very sure how I can upload the owners manual. its such a thick booklet!!![/quote]

I'll be going in for Misty Lake or the Velvet Red (BLACK IS BANNED @ HOME

). I'm going in for the LTZ.
Just thought if you had a soft copy of the manual. Tried online and didn't find one.

sameer sultan · 20th January 2010, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pradeep2612

Many Thanks Pradeep. You have made a good choice and advance congrats for your Cruze. Which color and variant have you decided? Not very sure how I can upload the owners manual. its such a thick booklet!!!

I'll be going in for Misty Lake or the Velvet Red (BLACK IS BANNED @ HOME

). I'm going in for the LTZ.
Just thought if you had a soft copy of the manual. Tried online and didn't find one.[/quote]

Velvet Red is an awesome color. Guess it is in much demand also.

ashish22 · 20th January 2010, 17:36

I was also tempted by velvet red however decided against it since already have a red car. Otherwise velvet red offers best of both the worlds i.e. aggression and elegance.
Also it should be easier to maintain in comparison to black which needs proper care.

Quick que sameer. What does the manual say in regards to the engine oil, synthetic or normal? I feel synthetic oil is a must have for this high performance engine. Should be able to feel better refinement as well.

sameer sultan · 20th January 2010, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashish22

I was also tempted by velvet red however decided against it since already have a red car. Otherwise velvet red offers best of both the worlds i.e. aggression and elegance.
Also it should be easier to maintain in comparison to black which needs proper care.

Quick que sameer. What does the manual say in regards to the engine oil, synthetic or normal? I feel synthetic oil is a must have for this high performance engine. Should be able to feel better refinement as well.

Its synthetic oil. BTW the Cruze will give you the same adrenaline rush as your vRS.

Pradeep2612 · 21st January 2010, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

I'll be going in for Misty Lake or the Velvet Red (BLACK IS BANNED @ HOME

). I'm going in for the LTZ.
Just thought if you had a soft copy of the manual. Tried online and didn't find one.

Velvet Red is an awesome color. Guess it is in much demand also.[/quote]

Started the Loan Process yesterday and decided on the Velvet Red. Which looks Stunning... ( An Angry RED BULL

).

sameer sultan · 21st January 2010, 11:20

Started the Loan Process yesterday and decided on the Velvet Red. Which looks Stunning... ( An Angry RED BULL

).[/quote]

wow many congratulations for opting for red. Its truly eye catching color.

1-Testosterone · 21st January 2010, 11:36

Fast and Furious cars look best in Red color only

Pradeep2612 · 22nd January 2010, 10:54

Thanks Sameer. Could you please put in your reviews during the Run in period of the Cruze.

sameer sultan · 22nd January 2010, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pradeep2612

Thanks Sameer. Could you please put in your reviews during the Run in period of the Cruze.

Yes I shall do that in the weekend.

sameer sultan · 23rd January 2010, 20:08

I know this post should have been the one to start this thread, but I didnt want to write about the booking and delivery experience at the start just because it wasnt a pleasant one

. Did not want to start the thread with a negative thought.

I booked a white Cruze on October 15 2009(3 days after it was launched here) at Sundaram Motors by paying Rs.50,000/- and was promised delivery by first week on November. They said they will process the loan as they have in house finance company. After a couple of days I got a call saying that they are un able to process the loan and hence they would do it with some banks.

Around October 31 2009 when I checked the status the sales man at Sundaram said he is not able to get the loan processed with banks also as Cruze is a new product in the market. He asked whether I can make full payment up front as the car is expected any moment. I replied in the negative and told him that I will get the loan processed myself.

On November 5 2009 the sales man from Sundaram informed me that the car has arrived and asked about the payment status. I told him i will be getting it done around November 7 2009. He said OK. Aparantly the sales man had taken a leave from November 6 to 9 2009.(This I came to know on November 9 2009).

I called the sales man on November 9 2009 and said the loan is processed and I will be making the full payment on November 11 2009. The next day that is Nov 8, the sales man calls me back and says the White Cruze which was alloted to me has been sold to some other customer who had made the payment before me and all this happened when he was on leave. Nobody from his office contacted him to check about my payment status and some top management guy had taken this decision.He said he was helpless as he was not in office, else he would have told the management guys that I will be making the payment on November 9 2009 but it was not to be. I was livid at him but he pacified me saying that another White Cruze was in transit and they will allot that car to me. On November 11 2009 I went to Sundaram Motors with the full payment(Loan amount as well as my part of the payment). The sales man put me on to some manager and he gave me another piece of bad news. The white Cruze which was on transit has arrived but its a LT version

. I was loosing my patience at this stage. Now the sundaram guys came up with another option saying that they will right away place an order with the plant at Halol for the White Cruze and as it takes 7 days transit time I can take the delivery around November 20 2009. I had to agree to that as I had no other option. My wife too was with me that day and she gave a peice of her mind to the Sundaram guys including the salesman/manager. As we were leaving the showroom after making the payment we saw the White Cruze LTZ which was allotted to us originaly being readied for delivery to the other customer!!!! My heart felt really sad because this could have been my car if not for the sales guy going on leave from November 6 to 9 2009.

Now I started counting days and every 2 days I used to call the manager(I thought its better to contact the manger directly instead of the sale man) asking the transit status. He would say that the car is not yet billed at the plant and it would be done in the evening. But that was his reply every other day. I was like going crazy with anger. On November 18 2009 I went to the showroom to know the delivery status. Still the manager kept saying General Motors has not billed the White Cruze to sundaram motors and it will be done any moment. I was really upset to say the least and created a scene before leaving the showroom.

I got an idea on November 20 2009, I found the number of Halol Plant from GM website and asked my brother(he is good in PR) to speak to someone there to find out about the production status. Bro spoke to some one there and they directed him to the General Motors General Manager Sales and Marketing South India. He spoke to him and the news we got was shattering.

This person told us that White Cruze is in much demand and the production is not sufficient. He said there are like 250 All India orders for White alone and in South India it is like 15 white Cruze required by one dealer in Coimbatore alone. He also said every month there is an allotment of 5 White Cruze for South India dealers. This news was really sad for me. He asked me to consider any other color option for speedy delivery as he cannot confirm the delivery of White Cruze in the near future.

When I told this to the Sundaram Guys they feigned ignorance and blamed GM for keeping them in the dark. Now they started to try and sell me the Gold Color or Misty Lake which were there ex-stock.They did not have black also. I was very angry with them and also gave a blasting to the top manager at Sundaram. It was 10 days since I made the payment and still no delivery date.

In the meantime I was in touch with the GM Manager who was asking me to decide on another color. Meanwhile my Bro being extra smart got the number of the Production Manager General Motors at Halol Plant and spoke to him. He said every day 1 or 2 cars are rolled out and white is not coming out every day from the plant. He also gave the info that the Cruze comes in CKD from Mexico, hence the slow production.

On November 23 2009 after contemplating over the weekend about the color options I decided on the Black Cruze. Spoke to the General Motors South India GM and he said he can try and confirm the black Cruze ASAP. The same evening I received an sms from the GM guy saying 1 black Cruze has been billed to Sundaram Motors and I should contact the dealer and get this car alloted to me. He also marked a copy of the sms to the Sundaram Manager. Next day I went to Sundaram and showed them the sms and they confirmed that this black Cruze will be alloted to me and they will inform the Engine and Chasis no once the car leaves the Plant. We were on November 24 and they said 7 days transit time.The same evening I got the text from sales man at Sundaram informing me the engine and chasis number. So around December 1 2009 I was expecting the delivery. Meanwhile as I wanted a special number I bought the number from Chenglepet RTO as within Chennai City the series was running different and Sundaram had told at the time of booking that they will not deliver the car without registration. If I have to buy the number out of turn it costs a lot. Hence I had to pick up the number from out side the city.

Come November 30 2009 I visited the dealer and still they said car is not arrived and its expected any moment. Same answer on Dec 1 2009. The next day I went to Sundaram at 10 am and was there till 1:30 PM. I created a ruckus there and shouted at the top of my voice as stll the manager was not able to say when my car will arrive. I asked him to contact the transporter and check out where the truck has reached. I had to give them ideas. Then they finally contacted the truck driver and got back to me saying the truck has reached Kanchipuram which is 70kms from Chennai and the car will be un loaded that evening at their yard. I asked them to do the PDI same evening as I wanted to do the registration tomorrow dec 3 and take the delivery. Now the Sundaram guys were working very actively and every 1 hour I was getting calls as they were updating me about the status. Next day the car was ready after PDI and I accompanied the sales guy to Chenglepet for registration which is 50KMS from Chennai. I had the first drive of my Black Cruze. I was happy with the color as well. Black was nice.

Unfortunately we could not register the car that day as by the time we reached Chenglepet the RTO had left for the day.(2PM). We were asked to come back next day. I came back and dropped the car at Sundaram and went home. I had a sleepless night as I wanted to get the delivery of the car on December 4 2009 Friday at any cost.

On Friday morning we left early from the dealership. It was a rainy day. I did not drive the Cruze as I wanted to drive it only after registration. Finally at 1 pm the formalities got over. I was a happy man.

On my way back from Chengelpet I drove the Cruze and checked out all the features like Cruise Control Rain Sensor and the ICE setup. I touched 160KMPH as we drove on NH 45.

At 6 PM I took delivery after complete service and took her home with the Chevy Teddy for company.

You may have noticed that I have refrained from mentioning the names of the persons whom I interacted at Sundaram Motors as well as General Motors. I did this on purpose to avoid any issues.

Mubeen · 23rd January 2010, 21:42

Tough luck with the color options Sameer. Guess you cant have them all eh!

You drove 50 km's to get registration number of your choice?

That number must really mean something to you!

20th January 2010, 00:13	#77
Sudan_NFS BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 759 Thanked: 16 Times	Nice car and a good review for this car. Hope your are enjoying every bit of this car and crunching all the power the car has. Happy and safe driving!.
	() Thanks

20th January 2010, 08:25	#78
Pradeep2612 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	Hey Sameer, Congrats of the Awesome Looking Car. I'm planning to book it by this month end. Could you please let me know if you can upload the copy of the Owners Manual. Thanks.
	() Thanks

20th January 2010, 13:11	#80
Pradeep2612 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	Many Thanks Pradeep. You have made a good choice and advance congrats for your Cruze. Which color and variant have you decided? Not very sure how I can upload the owners manual. its such a thick booklet!!![/quote] I'll be going in for Misty Lake or the Velvet Red (BLACK IS BANNED @ HOME ). I'm going in for the LTZ. Just thought if you had a soft copy of the manual. Tried online and didn't find one.
	() Thanks

20th January 2010, 17:36	#82
ashish22 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 598 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	I was also tempted by velvet red however decided against it since already have a red car. Otherwise velvet red offers best of both the worlds i.e. aggression and elegance. Also it should be easier to maintain in comparison to black which needs proper care. Quick que sameer. What does the manual say in regards to the engine oil, synthetic or normal? I feel synthetic oil is a must have for this high performance engine. Should be able to feel better refinement as well.
	() Thanks

21st January 2010, 11:20	#85
sameer sultan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 435 Thanked: 789 Times	Started the Loan Process yesterday and decided on the Velvet Red. Which looks Stunning... ( An Angry RED BULL ).[/quote] wow many congratulations for opting for red. Its truly eye catching color.
	() Thanks

21st January 2010, 11:36	#86
1-Testosterone BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Amritsar Posts: 388 Thanked: 43 Times View My Garage	Fast and Furious cars look best in Red color only
	() Thanks

22nd January 2010, 10:54	#87
Pradeep2612 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	Thanks Sameer. Could you please put in your reviews during the Run in period of the Cruze.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2010, 20:08	#89
sameer sultan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 435 Thanked: 789 Times	Booking and Delivery Experience Saga. I know this post should have been the one to start this thread, but I didnt want to write about the booking and delivery experience at the start just because it wasnt a pleasant one . Did not want to start the thread with a negative thought. I booked a white Cruze on October 15 2009(3 days after it was launched here) at Sundaram Motors by paying Rs.50,000/- and was promised delivery by first week on November. They said they will process the loan as they have in house finance company. After a couple of days I got a call saying that they are un able to process the loan and hence they would do it with some banks. Around October 31 2009 when I checked the status the sales man at Sundaram said he is not able to get the loan processed with banks also as Cruze is a new product in the market. He asked whether I can make full payment up front as the car is expected any moment. I replied in the negative and told him that I will get the loan processed myself. On November 5 2009 the sales man from Sundaram informed me that the car has arrived and asked about the payment status. I told him i will be getting it done around November 7 2009. He said OK. Aparantly the sales man had taken a leave from November 6 to 9 2009.(This I came to know on November 9 2009). I called the sales man on November 9 2009 and said the loan is processed and I will be making the full payment on November 11 2009. The next day that is Nov 8, the sales man calls me back and says the White Cruze which was alloted to me has been sold to some other customer who had made the payment before me and all this happened when he was on leave. Nobody from his office contacted him to check about my payment status and some top management guy had taken this decision.He said he was helpless as he was not in office, else he would have told the management guys that I will be making the payment on November 9 2009 but it was not to be. I was livid at him but he pacified me saying that another White Cruze was in transit and they will allot that car to me. On November 11 2009 I went to Sundaram Motors with the full payment(Loan amount as well as my part of the payment). The sales man put me on to some manager and he gave me another piece of bad news. The white Cruze which was on transit has arrived but its a LT version. I was loosing my patience at this stage. Now the sundaram guys came up with another option saying that they will right away place an order with the plant at Halol for the White Cruze and as it takes 7 days transit time I can take the delivery around November 20 2009. I had to agree to that as I had no other option. My wife too was with me that day and she gave a peice of her mind to the Sundaram guys including the salesman/manager. As we were leaving the showroom after making the payment we saw the White Cruze LTZ which was allotted to us originaly being readied for delivery to the other customer!!!! My heart felt really sad because this could have been my car if not for the sales guy going on leave from November 6 to 9 2009. Now I started counting days and every 2 days I used to call the manager(I thought its better to contact the manger directly instead of the sale man) asking the transit status. He would say that the car is not yet billed at the plant and it would be done in the evening. But that was his reply every other day. I was like going crazy with anger. On November 18 2009 I went to the showroom to know the delivery status. Still the manager kept saying General Motors has not billed the White Cruze to sundaram motors and it will be done any moment. I was really upset to say the least and created a scene before leaving the showroom. I got an idea on November 20 2009, I found the number of Halol Plant from GM website and asked my brother(he is good in PR) to speak to someone there to find out about the production status. Bro spoke to some one there and they directed him to the General Motors General Manager Sales and Marketing South India. He spoke to him and the news we got was shattering. This person told us that White Cruze is in much demand and the production is not sufficient. He said there are like 250 All India orders for White alone and in South India it is like 15 white Cruze required by one dealer in Coimbatore alone. He also said every month there is an allotment of 5 White Cruze for South India dealers. This news was really sad for me. He asked me to consider any other color option for speedy delivery as he cannot confirm the delivery of White Cruze in the near future. When I told this to the Sundaram Guys they feigned ignorance and blamed GM for keeping them in the dark. Now they started to try and sell me the Gold Color or Misty Lake which were there ex-stock.They did not have black also. I was very angry with them and also gave a blasting to the top manager at Sundaram. It was 10 days since I made the payment and still no delivery date. In the meantime I was in touch with the GM Manager who was asking me to decide on another color. Meanwhile my Bro being extra smart got the number of the Production Manager General Motors at Halol Plant and spoke to him. He said every day 1 or 2 cars are rolled out and white is not coming out every day from the plant. He also gave the info that the Cruze comes in CKD from Mexico, hence the slow production. On November 23 2009 after contemplating over the weekend about the color options I decided on the Black Cruze. Spoke to the General Motors South India GM and he said he can try and confirm the black Cruze ASAP. The same evening I received an sms from the GM guy saying 1 black Cruze has been billed to Sundaram Motors and I should contact the dealer and get this car alloted to me. He also marked a copy of the sms to the Sundaram Manager. Next day I went to Sundaram and showed them the sms and they confirmed that this black Cruze will be alloted to me and they will inform the Engine and Chasis no once the car leaves the Plant. We were on November 24 and they said 7 days transit time.The same evening I got the text from sales man at Sundaram informing me the engine and chasis number. So around December 1 2009 I was expecting the delivery. Meanwhile as I wanted a special number I bought the number from Chenglepet RTO as within Chennai City the series was running different and Sundaram had told at the time of booking that they will not deliver the car without registration. If I have to buy the number out of turn it costs a lot. Hence I had to pick up the number from out side the city. Come November 30 2009 I visited the dealer and still they said car is not arrived and its expected any moment. Same answer on Dec 1 2009. The next day I went to Sundaram at 10 am and was there till 1:30 PM. I created a ruckus there and shouted at the top of my voice as stll the manager was not able to say when my car will arrive. I asked him to contact the transporter and check out where the truck has reached. I had to give them ideas. Then they finally contacted the truck driver and got back to me saying the truck has reached Kanchipuram which is 70kms from Chennai and the car will be un loaded that evening at their yard. I asked them to do the PDI same evening as I wanted to do the registration tomorrow dec 3 and take the delivery. Now the Sundaram guys were working very actively and every 1 hour I was getting calls as they were updating me about the status. Next day the car was ready after PDI and I accompanied the sales guy to Chenglepet for registration which is 50KMS from Chennai. I had the first drive of my Black Cruze. I was happy with the color as well. Black was nice. Unfortunately we could not register the car that day as by the time we reached Chenglepet the RTO had left for the day.(2PM). We were asked to come back next day. I came back and dropped the car at Sundaram and went home. I had a sleepless night as I wanted to get the delivery of the car on December 4 2009 Friday at any cost. On Friday morning we left early from the dealership. It was a rainy day. I did not drive the Cruze as I wanted to drive it only after registration. Finally at 1 pm the formalities got over. I was a happy man.On my way back from Chengelpet I drove the Cruze and checked out all the features like Cruise Control Rain Sensor and the ICE setup. I touched 160KMPH as we drove on NH 45. At 6 PM I took delivery after complete service and took her home with the Chevy Teddy for company. You may have noticed that I have refrained from mentioning the names of the persons whom I interacted at Sundaram Motors as well as General Motors. I did this on purpose to avoid any issues.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2010, 21:42	#90
Mubeen BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 81 Thanked: 7 Times	Tough luck with the color options Sameer. Guess you cant have them all eh! You drove 50 km's to get registration number of your choice? That number must really mean something to you!
	() Thanks