Mansi Malhotra
It seems as if the companies in the Indian auto industry are setting a new trend of launching vehicles quietly and one after the other.
After the soft launch of Chevrolet Captiva on 26th June, GM introduced the much awaited facelift of the best in class sedan, Chevrolet Cruze, just a few hours later i.e. in the morning of 27th June.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
The new 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is sturdier, smoother, more comfortable and more powerful than its previous version.
The base variant of the new Cruze is priced Rs 13.85 lakh. The LTZ models are priced at Rs 14.77 lakh for manual and Rs 15.67 lakh for automatic.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
Similar to the old Cruze, the new model has a 2.0 litre VCDi engine but with an enhanced displacement of 1998cc as compared to the previous 1991cc.
As some reviews had already stated, the mill of the 2012 Cruze would now have a twin camshaft setup instead of a single one which results in a higher efficiency in terms of fuel and improved performance as well.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
The other problem that the previous version faced was that the turbocharger was located towards the cabin which resulted into hot air being taken in and the temperature had to be then brought down before it was allowed to enter the engine.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
This has been solved by moving the VGT towards the front, with this the Cruze would be more powerful than before even if the difference in the displacement is just 7cc.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
The new and improved engine would also have very low NVH as well.
For a layman all this sums up to the fact that this new sedan would have a peak power of 163.73bhp at 3800rpm and a torque of 380Nmat 2,000rpm.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
In comparison, the previous version delivered a power of 147.95bhp at 4000rpm and a torque of 327Nm at 2,600rpm, making the new version more powerful than the older one.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
Another major difference is that the old Cruze came mated with a 5- speed manual transmission and 6- speed automatic transmission whereas the newer version has 6-speed transmission in both manual and automatic options.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
Due to the superb engine that it has, the 2012 Cruze would be able to accelerate from 0-100km in about 10.7 seconds.
The claimed mileage of the sedan is approximately 17.3kmpl.
The suspension has been stiffened to cope with the heavier engine and kerb weight.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
In the front, the sedan uses McPherson Strut with Linear Cylindrical Coil Spring and Tubular Stabilizer Bar System and the rear suspension system includes the Compound Crank Type with Non-Linear, Mini-Block Coil Spring which reiterates the fact that the ride would be as comfortable as ever.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
From the looks of it, nothing much has changed for this luxurious sedan.
The dimensions of the car are still the same with an overall height of 1788mm, length of 4567mm and a width of 1477mm.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
The ground clearance also stays the same at 165mm.
The wheelbase of the car is 2685mm and it has a minimum turning radius of 5.45 metres, which might make it a little difficult to take a u-turn in case of a crowded city road.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
The front grille is divided into two and has the signature bowtie embedded in the middle.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
Body colored bumpers, a classy body style, 16" alloy wheels, stylish combination lamps add to the masculinity of the car.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
There have been no changes made to the looks, which probably adds to the appeal because in terms of style and design, Cruze stands next to none.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
Even though this has been a facelift after 3 years of its launch and therefore some changes were expected, but the car still looks as fresh in terms of designing.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Chevrolet Cruze has been one of the best sellers for GM India since its launch in 2009. GM has paid attention to the needs and requirements of the consumers and redesigned the Cruze accordingly.
like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.
A new more powerful Chevrolet Cruze finally drives in
Photographs: Kind courtesy, Chevrolet India
The end result proves that the 3 years long wait for a facelift has surely been worth it.
From what we hear and have seen, the Cruze has been taken a notch higher but whether or not would it be able to stand the Indian ruckus... time is going to be the best judge, let's wait and watch.
article