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Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 LS (A) Review
29 Mar 2011|59,020 views
What is the purpose of a car?
For many, that might seem like a silly question with an obvious answer. A car is for transporting people and things from one place to another, of course.
Some may beg to differ, like me, but the reality is that the majority of people who buy cars simply need something to ferry them and their families around conveniently and comfortably.
And so obviously, cars that are designed to serve just that purpose have a huge market, anywhere you go in the world.
For decades, the Toyota Corolla has been synonymous with the term "family car". The Corolla built its reputation on providing a stress-free driving experience, and its legendary reliability ensured that it brings its occupants to where they want to go with the minimum of fuss.
But Toyota's reputation has taken a beating over the past year, no thanks to its massive recall scandals, and its competitors have been quick to move in. The Koreans in particular, have taken massive leaps and bounds in their quest to overtake everyone in the automotive world.
We all know what Hyundai and Kia are now capable of, with their Avante and Cerato Forte sedans garnering lots of family-men converts. But what about the other Korean in the game, Chevrolet? (Because, let's face it, the Chevrolets we get here are made in Korea)
Chevrolet has recently given its entry for the family car market, the Cruze, a facelift for 2011. The Cruze LS boasts of a new 1.6-litre engine with "14% more power", and a new Navtrak navigation system. But is that enough for it to pull rank with its Korean comrades?
Exterior
Even though this is a 'facelift', visually, the 2011 Cruze looks the same as the 2009 Cruze. The only noticeable difference is that the wing mirrors now have indicator lights.
Otherwise, the Cruze is still the same handsome, chunky, muscular car from before, with its bold front end and aggressive flared sides, giving it a somewhat mean stance.
You will also notice that the Cruze is somewhat large for a 1.6-litre family car. It's not your eyes being tricked by those styling details. The car is actually big. It measures over 4.5 metres long.
Overall, it is a marked departure from the smooth, soft curves favoured by the Japanese, and because the Cruze isn't as popular as the Avante or Forte, it provides a small breath of fresh air to our motoring scene.
For many, that might seem like a silly question with an obvious answer. A car is for transporting people and things from one place to another, of course.
Some may beg to differ, like me, but the reality is that the majority of people who buy cars simply need something to ferry them and their families around conveniently and comfortably.
And so obviously, cars that are designed to serve just that purpose have a huge market, anywhere you go in the world.
For decades, the Toyota Corolla has been synonymous with the term "family car". The Corolla built its reputation on providing a stress-free driving experience, and its legendary reliability ensured that it brings its occupants to where they want to go with the minimum of fuss.
But Toyota's reputation has taken a beating over the past year, no thanks to its massive recall scandals, and its competitors have been quick to move in. The Koreans in particular, have taken massive leaps and bounds in their quest to overtake everyone in the automotive world.
We all know what Hyundai and Kia are now capable of, with their Avante and Cerato Forte sedans garnering lots of family-men converts. But what about the other Korean in the game, Chevrolet? (Because, let's face it, the Chevrolets we get here are made in Korea)
Chevrolet has recently given its entry for the family car market, the Cruze, a facelift for 2011. The Cruze LS boasts of a new 1.6-litre engine with "14% more power", and a new Navtrak navigation system. But is that enough for it to pull rank with its Korean comrades?
Exterior
Even though this is a 'facelift', visually, the 2011 Cruze looks the same as the 2009 Cruze. The only noticeable difference is that the wing mirrors now have indicator lights.
Otherwise, the Cruze is still the same handsome, chunky, muscular car from before, with its bold front end and aggressive flared sides, giving it a somewhat mean stance.
You will also notice that the Cruze is somewhat large for a 1.6-litre family car. It's not your eyes being tricked by those styling details. The car is actually big. It measures over 4.5 metres long.
Overall, it is a marked departure from the smooth, soft curves favoured by the Japanese, and because the Cruze isn't as popular as the Avante or Forte, it provides a small breath of fresh air to our motoring scene.
 |
Interior
The most obvious place to start with would be the new Navtrak navigation system that Chevrolet has fitted to the 2011 Cruze.
It takes a while, but once you've gotten grip of where all the buttons are and what they do, the system is actually very easy to use. The seven-inch touchscreen is intuitive, and aside from the GPS, the system also incorporates hi-definition DVD playback, Bluetooth connectivity, a 128GB hard drive, input for iPods/iPhones, and a reverse parking camera. Neat.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to play with every single one of the features, but the main function of navigation is a simple one, and there's a handy menu that you can access to find the nearest petrol station or restaurant, or other facilities. There was however, a slight problem with the AUX input for iPod connectivity, but perhaps that's an anomaly with our test car. Hopefully, customer cars don't have the same problem.
Moving on to the rest of the interior, the Cruze feels generally well-built. The silver trim around the centre console comes across as slightly tacky, but aside from that, there is not much to complain about. There are cubby holes everywhere for various bits and bobs, and a useful sunglasses holder right above the driver's door.
There is even a tinge of sportiness around the Cruze's cabin, with the snug, supportive front seats, and the funky rounded instrument dials, backed by cool blue lighting.
Rear legroom is reasonable, definitely good enough for the kids, and has the same comfortable seat design as those in front. The 450-litre capacity boot should be sufficient for the weekend shopping too.
 |
The Drive
You have to remember what the Cruze is built for. That is, to cart families around safely and comfortably. Therefore, don't expect it to perform miracles when you drive through a corner a bit too vigorously, because it doesn't have the type of grip levels to perform those kinds of stunts.
That said, the steering, although light, could do with a bit more feedback. It is quite responsive, but you would like it to have a bit more feel.
One of the common criticisms of the pre-facelift Cruze was the perceived lack of power, especially during pick-up. While the new 1.6-litre ECOTEC engine, with "14% more power", feels slightly better, there's still no hiding the fact that 122bhp is not quite adequate to heave around 1.4 tonnes of car.
This is not helped by a six-speed automatic gearbox that feels a little hesitant at lower speeds, unsure as to whether to shift up as you rev away, or stay put. There is, however, a manual override function, so that alleviates most of the problem really.
Where the Cruze comes into its element though, is on the highway. When you get up to the expressway speed limits, power delivery comes along smoothly and sends you past slower traffic with a dab of the accelerator, nary raising a complaint.
The Cruze also rides very well, soaking up bumps nicely, further cementing its status as a relaxed family cruiser. The only thing that lets it down is the rather raspy engine when you're pushing along. Chevrolet would do well to improve the sound-deadening on the Cruze.
You have to remember what the Cruze is built for. That is, to cart families around safely and comfortably. Therefore, don't expect it to perform miracles when you drive through a corner a bit too vigorously, because it doesn't have the type of grip levels to perform those kinds of stunts.
That said, the steering, although light, could do with a bit more feedback. It is quite responsive, but you would like it to have a bit more feel.
One of the common criticisms of the pre-facelift Cruze was the perceived lack of power, especially during pick-up. While the new 1.6-litre ECOTEC engine, with "14% more power", feels slightly better, there's still no hiding the fact that 122bhp is not quite adequate to heave around 1.4 tonnes of car.
This is not helped by a six-speed automatic gearbox that feels a little hesitant at lower speeds, unsure as to whether to shift up as you rev away, or stay put. There is, however, a manual override function, so that alleviates most of the problem really.
Where the Cruze comes into its element though, is on the highway. When you get up to the expressway speed limits, power delivery comes along smoothly and sends you past slower traffic with a dab of the accelerator, nary raising a complaint.
The Cruze also rides very well, soaking up bumps nicely, further cementing its status as a relaxed family cruiser. The only thing that lets it down is the rather raspy engine when you're pushing along. Chevrolet would do well to improve the sound-deadening on the Cruze.
Conclusion
If this review was written by Jeremy Clarkson, there is a possibility that the Cruze might not fare very favourably in his eyes.
However, because most of us are not Jeremy Clarkson, nor do we want to be Jeremy Clarkson, the Cruze actually ticks most of the right boxes, in terms of what we expect out of a car.
If all you need, and want, out of a car is decent private transportation, to send your kids to school, and send yourself to work, you can't go far wrong with the Cruze.
The Cruze is comfortable, well-built, and safe, with its Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating, so you can be assured of a dependable car that promises to do the job with the minimum of fuss.
It is, quite simply, an ideal car for the family man.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
If this review was written by Jeremy Clarkson, there is a possibility that the Cruze might not fare very favourably in his eyes.
However, because most of us are not Jeremy Clarkson, nor do we want to be Jeremy Clarkson, the Cruze actually ticks most of the right boxes, in terms of what we expect out of a car.
If all you need, and want, out of a car is decent private transportation, to send your kids to school, and send yourself to work, you can't go far wrong with the Cruze.
The Cruze is comfortable, well-built, and safe, with its Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating, so you can be assured of a dependable car that promises to do the job with the minimum of fuss.
It is, quite simply, an ideal car for the family man.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
What is the purpose of a car?
For many, that might seem like a silly question with an obvious answer. A car is for transporting people and things from one place to another, of course.
Some may beg to differ, like me, but the reality is that the majority of people who buy cars simply need something to ferry them and their families around conveniently and comfortably.
And so obviously, cars that are designed to serve just that purpose have a huge market, anywhere you go in the world.
For decades, the Toyota Corolla has been synonymous with the term "family car". The Corolla built its reputation on providing a stress-free driving experience, and its legendary reliability ensured that it brings its occupants to where they want to go with the minimum of fuss.
But Toyota's reputation has taken a beating over the past year, no thanks to its massive recall scandals, and its competitors have been quick to move in. The Koreans in particular, have taken massive leaps and bounds in their quest to overtake everyone in the automotive world.
We all know what Hyundai and Kia are now capable of, with their Avante and Cerato Forte sedans garnering lots of family-men converts. But what about the other Korean in the game, Chevrolet? (Because, let's face it, the Chevrolets we get here are made in Korea)
Chevrolet has recently given its entry for the family car market, the Cruze, a facelift for 2011. The Cruze LS boasts of a new 1.6-litre engine with "14% more power", and a new Navtrak navigation system. But is that enough for it to pull rank with its Korean comrades?
Exterior
Even though this is a 'facelift', visually, the 2011 Cruze looks the same as the 2009 Cruze. The only noticeable difference is that the wing mirrors now have indicator lights.
Otherwise, the Cruze is still the same handsome, chunky, muscular car from before, with its bold front end and aggressive flared sides, giving it a somewhat mean stance.
You will also notice that the Cruze is somewhat large for a 1.6-litre family car. It's not your eyes being tricked by those styling details. The car is actually big. It measures over 4.5 metres long.
Overall, it is a marked departure from the smooth, soft curves favoured by the Japanese, and because the Cruze isn't as popular as the Avante or Forte, it provides a small breath of fresh air to our motoring scene.
For many, that might seem like a silly question with an obvious answer. A car is for transporting people and things from one place to another, of course.
Some may beg to differ, like me, but the reality is that the majority of people who buy cars simply need something to ferry them and their families around conveniently and comfortably.
And so obviously, cars that are designed to serve just that purpose have a huge market, anywhere you go in the world.
For decades, the Toyota Corolla has been synonymous with the term "family car". The Corolla built its reputation on providing a stress-free driving experience, and its legendary reliability ensured that it brings its occupants to where they want to go with the minimum of fuss.
But Toyota's reputation has taken a beating over the past year, no thanks to its massive recall scandals, and its competitors have been quick to move in. The Koreans in particular, have taken massive leaps and bounds in their quest to overtake everyone in the automotive world.
We all know what Hyundai and Kia are now capable of, with their Avante and Cerato Forte sedans garnering lots of family-men converts. But what about the other Korean in the game, Chevrolet? (Because, let's face it, the Chevrolets we get here are made in Korea)
Chevrolet has recently given its entry for the family car market, the Cruze, a facelift for 2011. The Cruze LS boasts of a new 1.6-litre engine with "14% more power", and a new Navtrak navigation system. But is that enough for it to pull rank with its Korean comrades?
Exterior
Even though this is a 'facelift', visually, the 2011 Cruze looks the same as the 2009 Cruze. The only noticeable difference is that the wing mirrors now have indicator lights.
Otherwise, the Cruze is still the same handsome, chunky, muscular car from before, with its bold front end and aggressive flared sides, giving it a somewhat mean stance.
You will also notice that the Cruze is somewhat large for a 1.6-litre family car. It's not your eyes being tricked by those styling details. The car is actually big. It measures over 4.5 metres long.
Overall, it is a marked departure from the smooth, soft curves favoured by the Japanese, and because the Cruze isn't as popular as the Avante or Forte, it provides a small breath of fresh air to our motoring scene.
|
Interior
The most obvious place to start with would be the new Navtrak navigation system that Chevrolet has fitted to the 2011 Cruze.
It takes a while, but once you've gotten grip of where all the buttons are and what they do, the system is actually very easy to use. The seven-inch touchscreen is intuitive, and aside from the GPS, the system also incorporates hi-definition DVD playback, Bluetooth connectivity, a 128GB hard drive, input for iPods/iPhones, and a reverse parking camera. Neat.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to play with every single one of the features, but the main function of navigation is a simple one, and there's a handy menu that you can access to find the nearest petrol station or restaurant, or other facilities. There was however, a slight problem with the AUX input for iPod connectivity, but perhaps that's an anomaly with our test car. Hopefully, customer cars don't have the same problem.
Moving on to the rest of the interior, the Cruze feels generally well-built. The silver trim around the centre console comes across as slightly tacky, but aside from that, there is not much to complain about. There are cubby holes everywhere for various bits and bobs, and a useful sunglasses holder right above the driver's door.
There is even a tinge of sportiness around the Cruze's cabin, with the snug, supportive front seats, and the funky rounded instrument dials, backed by cool blue lighting.
Rear legroom is reasonable, definitely good enough for the kids, and has the same comfortable seat design as those in front. The 450-litre capacity boot should be sufficient for the weekend shopping too.
|
The Drive
You have to remember what the Cruze is built for. That is, to cart families around safely and comfortably. Therefore, don't expect it to perform miracles when you drive through a corner a bit too vigorously, because it doesn't have the type of grip levels to perform those kinds of stunts.
That said, the steering, although light, could do with a bit more feedback. It is quite responsive, but you would like it to have a bit more feel.
One of the common criticisms of the pre-facelift Cruze was the perceived lack of power, especially during pick-up. While the new 1.6-litre ECOTEC engine, with "14% more power", feels slightly better, there's still no hiding the fact that 122bhp is not quite adequate to heave around 1.4 tonnes of car.
This is not helped by a six-speed automatic gearbox that feels a little hesitant at lower speeds, unsure as to whether to shift up as you rev away, or stay put. There is, however, a manual override function, so that alleviates most of the problem really.
Where the Cruze comes into its element though, is on the highway. When you get up to the expressway speed limits, power delivery comes along smoothly and sends you past slower traffic with a dab of the accelerator, nary raising a complaint.
The Cruze also rides very well, soaking up bumps nicely, further cementing its status as a relaxed family cruiser. The only thing that lets it down is the rather raspy engine when you're pushing along. Chevrolet would do well to improve the sound-deadening on the Cruze.
You have to remember what the Cruze is built for. That is, to cart families around safely and comfortably. Therefore, don't expect it to perform miracles when you drive through a corner a bit too vigorously, because it doesn't have the type of grip levels to perform those kinds of stunts.
That said, the steering, although light, could do with a bit more feedback. It is quite responsive, but you would like it to have a bit more feel.
One of the common criticisms of the pre-facelift Cruze was the perceived lack of power, especially during pick-up. While the new 1.6-litre ECOTEC engine, with "14% more power", feels slightly better, there's still no hiding the fact that 122bhp is not quite adequate to heave around 1.4 tonnes of car.
This is not helped by a six-speed automatic gearbox that feels a little hesitant at lower speeds, unsure as to whether to shift up as you rev away, or stay put. There is, however, a manual override function, so that alleviates most of the problem really.
Where the Cruze comes into its element though, is on the highway. When you get up to the expressway speed limits, power delivery comes along smoothly and sends you past slower traffic with a dab of the accelerator, nary raising a complaint.
The Cruze also rides very well, soaking up bumps nicely, further cementing its status as a relaxed family cruiser. The only thing that lets it down is the rather raspy engine when you're pushing along. Chevrolet would do well to improve the sound-deadening on the Cruze.
Conclusion
If this review was written by Jeremy Clarkson, there is a possibility that the Cruze might not fare very favourably in his eyes.
However, because most of us are not Jeremy Clarkson, nor do we want to be Jeremy Clarkson, the Cruze actually ticks most of the right boxes, in terms of what we expect out of a car.
If all you need, and want, out of a car is decent private transportation, to send your kids to school, and send yourself to work, you can't go far wrong with the Cruze.
The Cruze is comfortable, well-built, and safe, with its Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating, so you can be assured of a dependable car that promises to do the job with the minimum of fuss.
It is, quite simply, an ideal car for the family man.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
If this review was written by Jeremy Clarkson, there is a possibility that the Cruze might not fare very favourably in his eyes.
However, because most of us are not Jeremy Clarkson, nor do we want to be Jeremy Clarkson, the Cruze actually ticks most of the right boxes, in terms of what we expect out of a car.
If all you need, and want, out of a car is decent private transportation, to send your kids to school, and send yourself to work, you can't go far wrong with the Cruze.
The Cruze is comfortable, well-built, and safe, with its Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating, so you can be assured of a dependable car that promises to do the job with the minimum of fuss.
It is, quite simply, an ideal car for the family man.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
Photos by Benjamin G, Kline
Also read our comparison article on:
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 vs Hyundai Elantra 1.6 vs Nissan Sylphy 1.6
Car Information
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 LS (A)
CAT A|Petrol|13.5km/L
Horsepower
91kW (122 bhp)
Torque
155 Nm
Acceleration
12.5sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Chevrolet Cruze
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