Topic: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze: More Compact Car for the Money

[TopGun]

Frankly even if it is a decent carfI think they Scared the pooch on the way they introduced this.
....

And rrocket wonders why I've turned from ImportBoy to GMDefenderBoy.

If they brought it before they would have been accused of rushing it.  Now that they waited (not sure they did) they're getting burned on waiting.

[toolatecrew]

Frankly even if it is a decent carfI think they Scared the pooch on the way they introduced this.
....

And rrocket wonders why I've turned from ImportBoy to GMDefenderBoy.

If they brought it before they would have been accused of rushing it.  Now that they waited (not sure they did) they're getting burned on waiting.

Sorry but its been in europe for over a year this isn't a case of "rushing" a car into production. Its been in production for quite some time and they have simply delayed it for North America.

[triuman]

Oh come on what's wrong with an Echo? They're no-frills, light and drive like go-karts. I wanted one as a second car to my Mazda 5.

That's how I think of the Civic. After reading the link to the Cruze, it doesn't sound bad. Maybe that will press Honda to get their redesign of the Civic to the marker sooner than '12 (?). Reports say the 9th gen Civic is supposed to be smaller, lighter....

[Ex-airbalancer]

Here a bit of news
The aperture behind the grille has been reduced in area to only what is required to meet the cooling requirements at highway speeds where the air flows faster. The lower grille area below the bumper is only needed at lower speeds. Here, a set of thermostatically controlled shutters is closed at higher speeds to force air around the car instead of allowing it through the engine compartment. The 0.016 reduction in the coefficient of drag produced by these shutters is responsible for a 1 mile per gallon improvement in highway fuel economy.

[Ice]

Here a bit of news
The aperture behind the grille has been reduced in area to only what is required to meet the cooling requirements at highway speeds where the air flows faster. The lower grille area below the bumper is only needed at lower speeds. Here, a set of thermostatically controlled shutters is closed at higher speeds to force air around the car instead of allowing it through the engine compartment. The 0.016 reduction in the coefficient of drag produced by these shutters is responsible for a 1 mile per gallon improvement in highway fuel economy.

I don't think that's really new... they were talking about that with the Eco version of the car with the 1.4T and the manual transmission. I thought that the shutters were for that version only.

Interestingly Ford said something about doing something similar on the Focus.

[rrocket]

Here a bit of news
The aperture behind the grille has been reduced in area to only what is required to meet the cooling requirements at highway speeds where the air flows faster. The lower grille area below the bumper is only needed at lower speeds. Here, a set of thermostatically controlled shutters is closed at higher speeds to force air around the car instead of allowing it through the engine compartment. The 0.016 reduction in the coefficient of drag produced by these shutters is responsible for a 1 mile per gallon improvement in highway fuel economy.

I don't think that's really new... they were talking about that with the Eco version of the car with the 1.4T and the manual transmission. I thought that the shutters were for that version only.

Interestingly Ford said something about doing something similar on the Focus.

BMW X5 had shutters on the radiator cowl years ago too....

[tpl]

Rolls Royce had the vertical slats on the grille acting as shutters ( thermally controlled at some point) before WWII but nobody cared about aero so it was probably done to make the heater work better in cold weather!
 Ford UK in the '60s had the grille slats shaped such that they would "stall" above a certain airspeed to smooth the airflow and keep some air out of the radiator. Ford's scheme was neat as it required no moving parts... and has been sort of copied in the 2010 F1 cars.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Here a bit of news
The aperture behind the grille has been reduced in area to only what is required to meet the cooling requirements at highway speeds where the air flows faster. The lower grille area below the bumper is only needed at lower speeds. Here, a set of thermostatically controlled shutters is closed at higher speeds to force air around the car instead of allowing it through the engine compartment. The 0.016 reduction in the coefficient of drag produced by these shutters is responsible for a 1 mile per gallon improvement in highway fuel economy.

I don't think that's really new... they were talking about that with the Eco version of the car with the 1.4T and the manual transmission. I thought that the shutters were for that version only.

Interestingly Ford said something about doing something similar on the Focus.

BMW X5 had shutters on the radiator cowl years ago too....

But this is on a 20k car, a little different then a X5

[diceman]

Here a bit of news
The aperture behind the grille has been reduced in area to only what is required to meet the cooling requirements at highway speeds where the air flows faster. The lower grille area below the bumper is only needed at lower speeds. Here, a set of thermostatically controlled shutters is closed at higher speeds to force air around the car instead of allowing it through the engine compartment. The 0.016 reduction in the coefficient of drag produced by these shutters is responsible for a 1 mile per gallon improvement in highway fuel economy.

LOL, slap!
I don't think that's really new... they were talking about that with the Eco version of the car with the 1.4T and the manual transmission. I thought that the shutters were for that version only.

Interestingly Ford said something about doing something similar on the Focus.

BMW X5 had shutters on the radiator cowl years ago too....

But this is on a 20k car, a little different then a X5

[Ice]

Ok... I have to admit... this is pretty freaking good looking for a Chevy.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/03/chevrolet-cruze-hatchback-unveiled/

The rear taillights are almost like some of the Alfa Romeo's that I've seen pictures of (and like). I know they said no to the US... but maybe for Canada?  Seeing as they don't have the Vibe anymore and I see tons of those.

[wing]

Not for the US usually means no Canada either

[Leviathan]

Not for the US usually means no Canada either

We're getting the Orlando so there is hope 

[Ice]

Not for the US usually means no Canada either

We're getting the Orlando so there is hope 

That's why I was curious if they would do that.  I'm really not sure why they wouldn't go for it given that they have a hole in their lineup right now left by the Pontiac Vibe.

[Ontariodriver]

Electric Cruze's now. Korea only though so far. Kinda of interesting. Maybe if the Nissan leaf works out. They be bringing Cruze EV's here.
 

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/09/gm-preparing-demo-fleet-of-202hp-cruze.html

South Korea is really getting serious about electric vehicles. Following the news last week of a Kia CUV EV to join Hyundai's BlueOn i10, GM has announced it will build a demonstration fleet of battery-powered Chevrolet Cruze sedans from the end of October.


The cars will be deployed in Seoul, with GM planning on testing them in other, unspecified urban markets at a later date. The idea is to test the market needs and consumer acceptance of battery electric vehicles and to gather data on real-world driving patterns and charging behavior.

The demonstration vehicles will be badged both as Daewoos (as the Lacetti Premiere) and Chevrolets (as the Cruze), despite the fact the latter is not sold in South Korea.

The project is a joint venture between GM Daewoo, LG Chem (who make the batteries) and LG Electronics (who make the motor and invertors). GM and LG Chem have been working together since 2008 with this being their second project together after the Chevrolet Volt.

The Cruze EV features an underbody-mounted 31-kwh battery and an electric motor producing 150 kw (equal to 202-horsepower). Tthe demonstration vehicles can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 8.2 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 mph). Tests by LG Chemical estimate that the driving range could be up to 160 km, with a recharge time of 8 to 10 hours on a standard 220 volt outlet.

GM has yet to reveal how many cars will be built or who exactly will be testing them, though these details will probably come with the launch October.

[Ice]

Electric Cruze's now. Korea only though so far. Kinda of interesting. Maybe if the Nissan leaf works out. They be bringing Cruze EV's here.
 

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/09/gm-preparing-demo-fleet-of-202hp-cruze.html

South Korea is really getting serious about electric vehicles. Following the news last week of a Kia CUV EV to join Hyundai's BlueOn i10, GM has announced it will build a demonstration fleet of battery-powered Chevrolet Cruze sedans from the end of October.


The cars will be deployed in Seoul, with GM planning on testing them in other, unspecified urban markets at a later date. The idea is to test the market needs and consumer acceptance of battery electric vehicles and to gather data on real-world driving patterns and charging behavior.

The demonstration vehicles will be badged both as Daewoos (as the Lacetti Premiere) and Chevrolets (as the Cruze), despite the fact the latter is not sold in South Korea.

The project is a joint venture between GM Daewoo, LG Chem (who make the batteries) and LG Electronics (who make the motor and invertors). GM and LG Chem have been working together since 2008 with this being their second project together after the Chevrolet Volt.

The Cruze EV features an underbody-mounted 31-kwh battery and an electric motor producing 150 kw (equal to 202-horsepower). Tthe demonstration vehicles can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 8.2 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 mph). Tests by LG Chemical estimate that the driving range could be up to 160 km, with a recharge time of 8 to 10 hours on a standard 220 volt outlet.

GM has yet to reveal how many cars will be built or who exactly will be testing them, though these details will probably come with the launch October.

Only makes sense... they can go toe to toe with the Focus Electric in 2012 or 2013 or whenever that happens. Plus since the Volt and Cruze share the same underpinnings I would assume at least a few commonalities that can be gleaned there.

[PJungnitsch]

A truly glowing review, and from The Truth About Cars, no less:

The real story is inside the car. The Cruze’s interior is not only infinitely better than that of the Cobalt, but easily best-in-class. The plastics look and feel very high in quality. And, thanks to the fabric trim panels on the doors and dash, the ambiance isn’t one of plastic, plastic, and more plastic. The doors even close with a Teutonic whumpf (that continues to elude Cadillac) and feel rock solid in the process. The Kia and Mitsubishi compacts I drove the same afternoon felt like junk in comparison. Even the much more expensive Audi that provided design inspiration could learn a thing or two.

And that’s not all there is to love about the interior. The front seats are outstanding, moderately firm without being too firm and providing support in all of the right places. Why don’t the CTS and Corvette have seats this good? Front and rear seat height is separately adjustable—for both seats. While these adjustments used to be common for the driver’s seat in affordable cars, bean counters have been hunting it to extinction. The seating position is low, so all but the tallest drivers will want to take advantage of them. Unfortunately, there’s no such solution for GM’s typical ultra-thick A-pillars. The leather wrapped steering wheel, which tilts and telescopes, is a joy to grip. The HVAC and audio controls have a quality feel and are well-designed, with knobs for major functions. For once, the General truly seems to have sweated the details...

....Chevrolet clearly did not intend the Cruze LT for enthusiasts. But auto makers have learned the hard way that there simply aren’t many enthusiasts who truly appreciate—and will pay for—communicative steering and an agile chassis. The typical car buyer would much rather have a high quality interior, refined ride, and fuel economy. In these respects the Cruze is a shockingly good car. After decades of failed attempts, GM has finally managed to out-Toyota Toyota.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/10/review-2011-chevrolet-cruze-lt/

[rrocket]

A truly glowing review, and from The Truth About Cars, no less:

The real story is inside the car. The Cruze’s interior is not only infinitely better than that of the Cobalt, but easily best-in-class. The plastics look and feel very high in quality. And, thanks to the fabric trim panels on the doors and dash, the ambiance isn’t one of plastic, plastic, and more plastic. The doors even close with a Teutonic whumpf (that continues to elude Cadillac) and feel rock solid in the process. The Kia and Mitsubishi compacts I drove the same afternoon felt like junk in comparison. Even the much more expensive Audi that provided design inspiration could learn a thing or two.

And that’s not all there is to love about the interior. The front seats are outstanding, moderately firm without being too firm and providing support in all of the right places. Why don’t the CTS and Corvette have seats this good? Front and rear seat height is separately adjustable—for both seats. While these adjustments used to be common for the driver’s seat in affordable cars, bean counters have been hunting it to extinction. The seating position is low, so all but the tallest drivers will want to take advantage of them. Unfortunately, there’s no such solution for GM’s typical ultra-thick A-pillars. The leather wrapped steering wheel, which tilts and telescopes, is a joy to grip. The HVAC and audio controls have a quality feel and are well-designed, with knobs for major functions. For once, the General truly seems to have sweated the details...

....Chevrolet clearly did not intend the Cruze LT for enthusiasts. But auto makers have learned the hard way that there simply aren’t many enthusiasts who truly appreciate—and will pay for—communicative steering and an agile chassis. The typical car buyer would much rather have a high quality interior, refined ride, and fuel economy. In these respects the Cruze is a shockingly good car. After decades of failed attempts, GM has finally managed to out-Toyota Toyota.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/10/review-2011-chevrolet-cruze-lt/

So they've managed to make a similarly dull and insulated driving car....like a Corolla.

Though free of lag, this engine vibrates at idle (an exception to the generally high level of refinement) and often sounds like it’s working hard. The transmission shifts frequently in a failed bid to make the engine seem energetic, but does not react promptly to manual inputs. Let’s just say there’s little here that the powertrain from the Cobalt SS wouldn’t fix.

Handling similarly begs for the SS treatment. As is, the Cruze feels compact but heavy. Agility isn’t part of the equation. The steering is fairly quick, but numb. The suspension has a commendable tautness to it thanks to well-tuned dampers, but the priority was clearly on a smooth, quiet ride. Mission accomplished: the Cruze thoroughly insulates the driver from the driving experience.

[Dante]

...Just with a way better interior, build and raid quality. I was too impressed with that last weekend when I took one out around the block and I think the review is spot on.
Not my type of car overall (I loved the front seats though), but I have to give GM credit for this one.

[rrocket]

...Just with a way better interior, build and raid quality. I was too impressed with that last weekend when I took one out around the block and I think the review is spot on.
Not my type of car overall (I loved the front seats though), but I have to give GM credit for this one.

If they can make it reliable, they might have a hit on their hands.  Will be interesting to see if it can unseat the Corolla/Civic from the top rungs of the sales board...

[Dante]

...Just with a way better interior, build and raid quality. I was too impressed with that last weekend when I took one out around the block and I think the review is spot on.
Not my type of car overall (I loved the front seats though), but I have to give GM credit for this one.

If they can make it reliable, they might have a hit on their hands.  Will be interesting to see if it can unseat the Corolla/Civic from the top rungs of the sales board...

You can't tell anthying about reliability either way, good or bad at this time. I'm not sure if Cruze can unseat the Corolla/Civic and I have doubts it will do. It takes more than a good product to do that. The perception is deep into people's mind and you know that very well. It may take many years and sustained good product, service, corporate behaviour, etc to see major shifts in public's perception.