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Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 (A) Review
26 Sep 2009|50,146 views
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a decent looking Chevrolet running around on our roads. I mean, it’s an American brand after all, so why should it be that the Asian countries have to bear the brunt of GM’s re-badging exercise from their purchase of the troubled South Korean company, Daewoo in 2001.
So we’ve seen our share of the unimaginative, mostly in the form of the older Aveo’s, Spark’s and Optra’s gracing our roads with their cheap plastics and average build quality.
For 2009 though, Chevrolet has gone in a whole new direction. They decided on a more global product, something in common between the different parts of the world, and one which could give rise to the “Hey, they have these cars back from where I come from as well” situation.
So the very first of the slated models for global production is the Chevrolet Cruze you see in the pictures.
Now, THIS looks American
And it’s a joy to look at!
For one, it isn’t a rebadged Daewoo. That automatically gets the car bumped up from its “super uncool” image to “pretty cool” and gets relegated from the terrible looks that plagued the Chevrolet’s of past here.
The Optra’s replacement looks the business. An absolutely muscular fascia snarls you down, with a pair of bold and pronounced creases cutting from the headlamps upwards, depressing the sides of the bonnet and ending off at the A-pillar. The divided gaping yaw of the front grill tops off the car’s aggressive and bulging image with a smart golden bow-tie, the company’s signature insignia, smack in the middle of it.
So we’ve seen our share of the unimaginative, mostly in the form of the older Aveo’s, Spark’s and Optra’s gracing our roads with their cheap plastics and average build quality.
For 2009 though, Chevrolet has gone in a whole new direction. They decided on a more global product, something in common between the different parts of the world, and one which could give rise to the “Hey, they have these cars back from where I come from as well” situation.
So the very first of the slated models for global production is the Chevrolet Cruze you see in the pictures.
Now, THIS looks American
And it’s a joy to look at!
For one, it isn’t a rebadged Daewoo. That automatically gets the car bumped up from its “super uncool” image to “pretty cool” and gets relegated from the terrible looks that plagued the Chevrolet’s of past here.
The Optra’s replacement looks the business. An absolutely muscular fascia snarls you down, with a pair of bold and pronounced creases cutting from the headlamps upwards, depressing the sides of the bonnet and ending off at the A-pillar. The divided gaping yaw of the front grill tops off the car’s aggressive and bulging image with a smart golden bow-tie, the company’s signature insignia, smack in the middle of it.
 |
Then you move to the rear where that air of aggressiveness missing from the side carries over from the front in the form of a smeared lamp design, looking like something off those on the Civic FD, and capped off with a tasteful chrome boot lid piece marrying both sides.
So just when we’re starting to get the impression that this car was born and bred in the states, we’re seeing signs of some Jap influence. But I ask, how is that bad? After all the Japanese have been leading this particular segment for years now, so surely getting some subtle hints from their designs never cause anyone to lose sleep.
But there’s a longer story to this.
 |
Chevrolet, when they set off on the Cruze project, wanted a global product as I mentioned earlier in the article. Thus they engaged designers from Europe, the US and Korea, and got them working on prototypes together. The result was a massive US$4 billion development bill and 221 prototypes produced over 27 months, and of course, the bold Cruze.
And hell, that paid off handsomely.
Is it as good as it looks?
Driving the Cruze is exactly as how you might imagine it to be, easy. They’ve still retained some form of feel through the steering wheel though, which makes driving the car a more involving experience than compared with an Altis.
Don’t hope for a sporty drive or anything of that nature here, this seems to be strictly a comfort box. The leather seats are properly supportive, holding you in place through corners but only if you keep it within a certain turning radius. As much as I would like to wax lyrical about the soft leather seats, the lumbar support caused some bit of discomfort for me, unnaturally pushing my lower back too much outwards.
And hell, that paid off handsomely.
Is it as good as it looks?
Driving the Cruze is exactly as how you might imagine it to be, easy. They’ve still retained some form of feel through the steering wheel though, which makes driving the car a more involving experience than compared with an Altis.
Don’t hope for a sporty drive or anything of that nature here, this seems to be strictly a comfort box. The leather seats are properly supportive, holding you in place through corners but only if you keep it within a certain turning radius. As much as I would like to wax lyrical about the soft leather seats, the lumbar support caused some bit of discomfort for me, unnaturally pushing my lower back too much outwards.
Employing MacPherson Struts at the front and independent four links at the rear gives this car a supple ride over the usual imperfections and changing road surfaces found on expressways but not necessarily an assuring setup when taking tight corners fast, something you probably won’t be doing in this car anyways.
What’s great is the fact that the guys at Chevy decided to slot a 6-speed auto box into the 1.8. In comparison, the Altis has only four and Honda’s Civic has five. So with the max torque of 176 twisting in at 3,800rpm and 139 horses galloping at 6,200rpm, the Cruze gets by with a 11.5 second 100km/h sprint. Fairly average for a car that weights a hefty 1,393kg.
Probably the worst thing about driving the Cruze is putting up with that engine screaming at you each time you prod it with your right foot, while over-taking or for some inspired driving. I’m not too sure whether the 4-cylinder under the bonnet’s an exceptionally loud unit or just that they figured the reduced use of noise dampening materials would add some sportiness to the car’s final drive. No…instead you’re left scared from the racket under the hood and will only resort to stomping in necessity.
What’s great is the fact that the guys at Chevy decided to slot a 6-speed auto box into the 1.8. In comparison, the Altis has only four and Honda’s Civic has five. So with the max torque of 176 twisting in at 3,800rpm and 139 horses galloping at 6,200rpm, the Cruze gets by with a 11.5 second 100km/h sprint. Fairly average for a car that weights a hefty 1,393kg.
Probably the worst thing about driving the Cruze is putting up with that engine screaming at you each time you prod it with your right foot, while over-taking or for some inspired driving. I’m not too sure whether the 4-cylinder under the bonnet’s an exceptionally loud unit or just that they figured the reduced use of noise dampening materials would add some sportiness to the car’s final drive. No…instead you’re left scared from the racket under the hood and will only resort to stomping in necessity.
 |
You might want to consider this proposition
Why?
Auto headlights that can be adjusted for sensitivity. Steering wheel-mounted controls for radio volume, switching of your radio stations and cruise control. Yes, cruise control.
A beautifully laid out interior with buttons and knobs and feel solid to the touch. Trip computer with clear read-outs, together with the clean gauge cluster, all illuminated in a cool blue hue that absolutely adds to this car’s character.
Even without any additional kit, it stance looks very similar to the Beemer-thumping-Cruze’s on the World Touring Car Championship circuit. Handsome looking 16 inch rims that isn’t anywhere as generic as the ones seen on its Japanese counterparts. Four airbags compared to the Civic’s two.
Why?
Auto headlights that can be adjusted for sensitivity. Steering wheel-mounted controls for radio volume, switching of your radio stations and cruise control. Yes, cruise control.
A beautifully laid out interior with buttons and knobs and feel solid to the touch. Trip computer with clear read-outs, together with the clean gauge cluster, all illuminated in a cool blue hue that absolutely adds to this car’s character.
Even without any additional kit, it stance looks very similar to the Beemer-thumping-Cruze’s on the World Touring Car Championship circuit. Handsome looking 16 inch rims that isn’t anywhere as generic as the ones seen on its Japanese counterparts. Four airbags compared to the Civic’s two.
It even has a pop-up slot for additional storage like in the Subaru Exiga I tested some months back, but unlike that seven-seater, the cover doesn’t rattle over bumps.
So here we are ladies and gentlemen.
A car that I predict will see Chevy employees working for every cent of their money attending to the horizon-stretching line of potential buyers and hooking them up with the Cruze in their desired colour (go with blue).
And at $72,388, I say if you’re in the market for a car that seats four comfortably and one you’re looking to clock the mileage in, Chevy has what you need.
So here we are ladies and gentlemen.
A car that I predict will see Chevy employees working for every cent of their money attending to the horizon-stretching line of potential buyers and hooking them up with the Cruze in their desired colour (go with blue).
And at $72,388, I say if you’re in the market for a car that seats four comfortably and one you’re looking to clock the mileage in, Chevy has what you need.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a decent looking Chevrolet running around on our roads. I mean, it’s an American brand after all, so why should it be that the Asian countries have to bear the brunt of GM’s re-badging exercise from their purchase of the troubled South Korean company, Daewoo in 2001.
So we’ve seen our share of the unimaginative, mostly in the form of the older Aveo’s, Spark’s and Optra’s gracing our roads with their cheap plastics and average build quality.
For 2009 though, Chevrolet has gone in a whole new direction. They decided on a more global product, something in common between the different parts of the world, and one which could give rise to the “Hey, they have these cars back from where I come from as well” situation.
So the very first of the slated models for global production is the Chevrolet Cruze you see in the pictures.
Now, THIS looks American
And it’s a joy to look at!
For one, it isn’t a rebadged Daewoo. That automatically gets the car bumped up from its “super uncool” image to “pretty cool” and gets relegated from the terrible looks that plagued the Chevrolet’s of past here.
The Optra’s replacement looks the business. An absolutely muscular fascia snarls you down, with a pair of bold and pronounced creases cutting from the headlamps upwards, depressing the sides of the bonnet and ending off at the A-pillar. The divided gaping yaw of the front grill tops off the car’s aggressive and bulging image with a smart golden bow-tie, the company’s signature insignia, smack in the middle of it.
So we’ve seen our share of the unimaginative, mostly in the form of the older Aveo’s, Spark’s and Optra’s gracing our roads with their cheap plastics and average build quality.
For 2009 though, Chevrolet has gone in a whole new direction. They decided on a more global product, something in common between the different parts of the world, and one which could give rise to the “Hey, they have these cars back from where I come from as well” situation.
So the very first of the slated models for global production is the Chevrolet Cruze you see in the pictures.
Now, THIS looks American
And it’s a joy to look at!
For one, it isn’t a rebadged Daewoo. That automatically gets the car bumped up from its “super uncool” image to “pretty cool” and gets relegated from the terrible looks that plagued the Chevrolet’s of past here.
The Optra’s replacement looks the business. An absolutely muscular fascia snarls you down, with a pair of bold and pronounced creases cutting from the headlamps upwards, depressing the sides of the bonnet and ending off at the A-pillar. The divided gaping yaw of the front grill tops off the car’s aggressive and bulging image with a smart golden bow-tie, the company’s signature insignia, smack in the middle of it.
|
Then you move to the rear where that air of aggressiveness missing from the side carries over from the front in the form of a smeared lamp design, looking like something off those on the Civic FD, and capped off with a tasteful chrome boot lid piece marrying both sides.
So just when we’re starting to get the impression that this car was born and bred in the states, we’re seeing signs of some Jap influence. But I ask, how is that bad? After all the Japanese have been leading this particular segment for years now, so surely getting some subtle hints from their designs never cause anyone to lose sleep.
But there’s a longer story to this.
|
Chevrolet, when they set off on the Cruze project, wanted a global product as I mentioned earlier in the article. Thus they engaged designers from Europe, the US and Korea, and got them working on prototypes together. The result was a massive US$4 billion development bill and 221 prototypes produced over 27 months, and of course, the bold Cruze.
And hell, that paid off handsomely.
Is it as good as it looks?
Driving the Cruze is exactly as how you might imagine it to be, easy. They’ve still retained some form of feel through the steering wheel though, which makes driving the car a more involving experience than compared with an Altis.
Don’t hope for a sporty drive or anything of that nature here, this seems to be strictly a comfort box. The leather seats are properly supportive, holding you in place through corners but only if you keep it within a certain turning radius. As much as I would like to wax lyrical about the soft leather seats, the lumbar support caused some bit of discomfort for me, unnaturally pushing my lower back too much outwards.
And hell, that paid off handsomely.
Is it as good as it looks?
Driving the Cruze is exactly as how you might imagine it to be, easy. They’ve still retained some form of feel through the steering wheel though, which makes driving the car a more involving experience than compared with an Altis.
Don’t hope for a sporty drive or anything of that nature here, this seems to be strictly a comfort box. The leather seats are properly supportive, holding you in place through corners but only if you keep it within a certain turning radius. As much as I would like to wax lyrical about the soft leather seats, the lumbar support caused some bit of discomfort for me, unnaturally pushing my lower back too much outwards.
Employing MacPherson Struts at the front and independent four links at the rear gives this car a supple ride over the usual imperfections and changing road surfaces found on expressways but not necessarily an assuring setup when taking tight corners fast, something you probably won’t be doing in this car anyways.
What’s great is the fact that the guys at Chevy decided to slot a 6-speed auto box into the 1.8. In comparison, the Altis has only four and Honda’s Civic has five. So with the max torque of 176 twisting in at 3,800rpm and 139 horses galloping at 6,200rpm, the Cruze gets by with a 11.5 second 100km/h sprint. Fairly average for a car that weights a hefty 1,393kg.
Probably the worst thing about driving the Cruze is putting up with that engine screaming at you each time you prod it with your right foot, while over-taking or for some inspired driving. I’m not too sure whether the 4-cylinder under the bonnet’s an exceptionally loud unit or just that they figured the reduced use of noise dampening materials would add some sportiness to the car’s final drive. No…instead you’re left scared from the racket under the hood and will only resort to stomping in necessity.
What’s great is the fact that the guys at Chevy decided to slot a 6-speed auto box into the 1.8. In comparison, the Altis has only four and Honda’s Civic has five. So with the max torque of 176 twisting in at 3,800rpm and 139 horses galloping at 6,200rpm, the Cruze gets by with a 11.5 second 100km/h sprint. Fairly average for a car that weights a hefty 1,393kg.
Probably the worst thing about driving the Cruze is putting up with that engine screaming at you each time you prod it with your right foot, while over-taking or for some inspired driving. I’m not too sure whether the 4-cylinder under the bonnet’s an exceptionally loud unit or just that they figured the reduced use of noise dampening materials would add some sportiness to the car’s final drive. No…instead you’re left scared from the racket under the hood and will only resort to stomping in necessity.
|
You might want to consider this proposition
Why?
Auto headlights that can be adjusted for sensitivity. Steering wheel-mounted controls for radio volume, switching of your radio stations and cruise control. Yes, cruise control.
A beautifully laid out interior with buttons and knobs and feel solid to the touch. Trip computer with clear read-outs, together with the clean gauge cluster, all illuminated in a cool blue hue that absolutely adds to this car’s character.
Even without any additional kit, it stance looks very similar to the Beemer-thumping-Cruze’s on the World Touring Car Championship circuit. Handsome looking 16 inch rims that isn’t anywhere as generic as the ones seen on its Japanese counterparts. Four airbags compared to the Civic’s two.
Why?
Auto headlights that can be adjusted for sensitivity. Steering wheel-mounted controls for radio volume, switching of your radio stations and cruise control. Yes, cruise control.
A beautifully laid out interior with buttons and knobs and feel solid to the touch. Trip computer with clear read-outs, together with the clean gauge cluster, all illuminated in a cool blue hue that absolutely adds to this car’s character.
Even without any additional kit, it stance looks very similar to the Beemer-thumping-Cruze’s on the World Touring Car Championship circuit. Handsome looking 16 inch rims that isn’t anywhere as generic as the ones seen on its Japanese counterparts. Four airbags compared to the Civic’s two.
It even has a pop-up slot for additional storage like in the Subaru Exiga I tested some months back, but unlike that seven-seater, the cover doesn’t rattle over bumps.
So here we are ladies and gentlemen.
A car that I predict will see Chevy employees working for every cent of their money attending to the horizon-stretching line of potential buyers and hooking them up with the Cruze in their desired colour (go with blue).
And at $72,388, I say if you’re in the market for a car that seats four comfortably and one you’re looking to clock the mileage in, Chevy has what you need.
So here we are ladies and gentlemen.
A car that I predict will see Chevy employees working for every cent of their money attending to the horizon-stretching line of potential buyers and hooking them up with the Cruze in their desired colour (go with blue).
And at $72,388, I say if you’re in the market for a car that seats four comfortably and one you’re looking to clock the mileage in, Chevy has what you need.
Also read our comparison article on:
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 vs Hyundai Elantra 1.6 vs Nissan Sylphy 1.6
Car Information
Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 (A)
CAT B|Petrol|10.9km/L
Horsepower
104kW (139 bhp)
Torque
176 Nm
Acceleration
11.5sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Chevrolet Cruze
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