Chevrolet, the completely owned division of American auto maker General Motors, has pulled the curtains off the revamped version of Cruze in the Indian auto industry. The earlier version of Cruze was renowned as the ‘diesel rocket’ in country and was a part of new designing philosophy followed by the company since 2009. Post launch, the model set benchmarks in the executive sedan segment of the country and emerged as a dominant force over competing cars. Therefore, it is anticipated that the reworked edition of the model, which was launched on June 27 2012, will take the reputation of Cruze even further.
The displacement of the all-new Chevrolet Cruze2012 is similar to that of its predecessor; however, auto experts reported that the new powertrain performed well in its on-road drive. This new Cruze boasts of a retuned 2.0 VCDi motor, whose maximum power clocks up to 163 bhp at 3,800 rpm, as compared to the previous model's 147 bhp at 4,000 rpm. The peak torque generated by this powertrain has moved up from 327 Nm at 2,600 rpm in the previous model to 380 Nm at 2,000 rpm in the new version.
In an on-road review, the new LTZ variant with six speed manual transmission system smoothly moved to 100 kmph from initial within a short span of 10.7 seconds. Therefore, the 2012 edition of Cruze saved almost a second while accelerating in comparison with the earlier model. The top speed of the sedan remained unchanged and easily crossed over 200 kmph; however, hitting the same during an uphill climb with an automatic gearbox will require an addition push.
According to latest reviews, the new iteration of the model with manual transmission system delivers a fairly acceptable mileage of 10 kmpl in city and impressive fuel economy of 17 kmpl on highways. Although the new car runs on a more powerful engine, its handling is anything but changed in regard to its predecessor and all credits goes to the advanced suspension system.
Apart from technical configuration and performance upgrades in the new edition of Cruze, the car also features two new passenger-friendly features which were kept at bay in the earlier model. Both the features, an electrically adjustable driver seat and the extra headroom in the second row, will make the new Cruze a better prospect for buyers than the outgoing model. Apart from these, all other features and advancements packed in the new model are similar to the older edition, including the all-black interiors, multimedia, and comfort and convenience features.
With all the abovementioned advancements and world class features, the base variant of 2012 edition Cruze (LT) is priced at Rs. 13.85 lacs, whereas its top-end version (LTZ) comes at Rs. 15.67 lacs (Ex-showroom Delhi). The latter is fully loaded and is assimilated with an automatic transmission system. With the launch of a new edition, Chevrolet is back with its best seller, but with a more powerful powertrain, which can enthral speeding enthusiasts, beneath its hood.
Moreover, while designing the new 2012 edition of Chevrolet Cruze, GM designers have worked upon even on the small aspects to leave no room for flaws. With these characteristics, the new model can certainly be considered as the complete package of luxury and power and will give tough competition to the likes of Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Altisand Volkswagen Jetta. Chevrolet seems to have gone bullish in India with the launch of two facelift models, as it presented the all-new Captiva 2.2 AT in India.
