Fulfilling its role as a all-around car for General Motors, the Chevrolet Cruze will get its US admission at the Los Angeles Auto Show, accessible to accessible on 4th December. The Cruze is GM’s ‘one bung for all sockets’ car; it’s already on auction in Europe and China and it’s advised to alter assorted articles aural the GM awning – from our Korean sourced Optra to the US bazaar Chevy Cobalt.
The North American bazaar Cruze will be congenital in Ohio, USA, but the C-segment battling to the Civic and Corolla is about the aforementioned car as what we’re declared to accept got aback in July. The 1.8-litre ECOTEC four-cylinder is the abject agent for the US (with 136bhp and 167Nm, Asian alternative rated at 140bhp/177Nm) but there’s a 1.4-litre ECOTEC turbo with 138bhp and 200Nm of torque peaking beneath 2000rpm – affidavit that alike the Americans are now on the downsizing wagon. Chevy claims that with this engine, the Cruze will be able to cruise for over 800km with its 57-litre tank.
The US will get two six-speed chiral options – chiral or tiptronic auto. For the Cruze apprenticed for ASEAN, you’ll charge to accept the automated to accept six ratios, which is a chic first.
The acutely styled Cruze is additionally sized to compete. It is about the aforementioned breadth as a Civic but added and taller, and its 2685mm wheelbase is aloof shy of the Honda’s chic arch 2700mm. It sits on GM’s new Delta II belvedere that additionally underpins the new Opel Astra, with MacPherson struts up advanced and a rear bewilderment axle suspension.
Personally, I anticipate that the Cruze’s autogenous will be a above affairs point in the showrooms. I had the advantage to analysis drive the Cruze beforehand this year at the Shanghai Motor Appearance (where GM put on a admirable show) and admired the cosy wraparound berth which has a faculty of specialness about it, attenuate in a arid ancestors saloon. The dashboard is in the ‘dual-cockpit’ appearance which GM is adopting for all their new-generation models and it’s accessible to see the articulation amid this berth and the latest Opels. A decidedly nice blow is the bind of bolt (or leather) beyond the commuter ancillary of the dash. The instruments do added for appearance than legibility, though.
We were bedfast to a abbreviate avenue in a accessible esplanade (with abstention gardeners and mini tractors) so this is aloof an antecedent impression. The Cruze imparts a solid and adamant feel missing in its Japanese rivals; this additional the abundant weighting of the council and controls makes for a believable Continental experience. The Cruze’s hardly bendable amble should additionally construe to adequate continued ambit cruising. What about the six-speed ‘box? No doubt, it’ll account artery abridgement but it’s not a bout for the sharpeness and acceleration of the Civic’s bristles speeder; it’s added of the smooth, slurry type. The chiral was nice though, with absolute about-face activity and a ablaze clutch.
Our allotment of the apple doesn’t get the 1.4 turbo, so it’s either the 1.8 or a 115bhp/150Nm 1.6-litre. The abate agent is acutely slower but somehow added affable than the 1.8; it emits beneath fizz and is smoother revving, aloof bethink not to cartage ablaze annoyance with the bodykitted Vios beside you!
It’s adamantine for the brand of Chevrolet to attempt adjoin the Japanese strongmen in Malaysia back anybody is already set on affairs a Honda/Toyota/Nissan, but at atomic a good, avant-garde artefact like the Cruze will accord them a angry chance. But it seems like HICOM-Chevrolet is afraid to get bottomward on the acreage to play!
