Chevrolet Cruze HB5 test drive since 2011 hatchback
Chevrolet Cruze: New body
Why Chevrolet has not done Cruze in the back of the hatchback for so long, to be honest, it is not entirely clear. The words of officials on this subject sound somehow slurred. Most likely, the General Motors concern a couple of years ago was simply not up to the hatchbacks, the company was on the edge of the financial abyss, which eventually led to bankruptcy. However, after a difficult healing procedure, GM begins to revive, new models also appear. More recently, we tested the new Chevrolet Aveo, and at the end of last week the first test drive of a five-door Cruze was held in Germany.
Why are the models of such sizes you need a hatchback, it has long been clear. The sedan, no matter how beautiful it is, is perceived by many people as a more conservative body type. And young and progressive often prefer hatchbacks. And not only they summer residents for a long time realized that tomato seedlings feel better in the hatch, where you can easily fold the rear seats.
Designers who created the appearance of Cruze can put a solid five. The five -door Cruze did not turn out a sort of Italian beauty, capable of falling in love with herself at first sight. But at the same time, the car looks very serious
In the technique of hatchback, Cruze copies the sedan, there is no difference in the cabin, and the configuration of two models will be exactly the same. Actually, all the difference between them is only in the back of the body. And in price. Yes, yes, it is already known to us, although the production of a machine in St. Petersburg will begin only in February (they will not import us from abroad). It turns out that Chevrolet believes that hatchback is a more prestigious model compared to sedan. And so it should cost more. Only 10 thousand rubles, but nevertheless. For comparison, the same Ford Focus is, on the contrary, the sedan is more expensive than the hatchback, and for the same 10 thousand rubles. (By the way, in Germany there is no difference in price between Cruze in various bodies).
The length of the hatchback is 4510 mm. For comparison, the length of the Volkswagen Golf 4200 mm, the new Opel Astra 4420 mm, Mazda3 4460 mm, and the Ford Focus 4360 mm. Skoda Octavia, however, a little more than 4570 mm. Dimensions of the Chevrolet Cruze Sedan 4597 mm
The hatchback came out with Chevrolet very practical. The volume of the trunk here is 413 liters. For class C is a very worthy figure, because, say, Ford Focus is about 365 liters, and Volkswagen Golf about 350 liters. Here it is necessary to make one important amendment in Europe Cruze is sold with a reptile instead of a spare wheel. We have anywhere without a spare, so Russian cars will have the floor of the luggage compartment slightly higher, and, accordingly, the luggage volume will be slightly reduced. But even after this, Cruze will be a hatchback with one of the most capacious trunks in the S. segment C. Only Skoda Octavia has a larger cargo compartment (585 l), although this model is still not quite a traditional hatchback. Well, if you lay out the rear seats, you get a great platform. Not perfectly flat, but spacious. A worthy hatchback turned out. Which will probably be in good demand in Russia that the share of sales of the sedan and hatchback will be 60% and 40%, respectively.
Formally, the sedan has a more spacious trunk there its volume is 450 liters (in the hatchback of 413 liters). But do not forget that if you fold the rear seats in the hatchback, you can transport very large things
I remember that during the long test of the Cruze sedan, we noted that the salon of this model was made quite interestingly and stylish, although there are strange things. For example, a small screen in the center due to weak backlighting during the day is simply not visible! True, such an antidisplay is put only on the basic and average LS set. But on the expensive version of the LT, the screen is much larger, although it is far from ideal. We note another chip of the Cruze interior part of the upper panel is finished here ... with a cloth! Unusual decision.
When creating a hatchback, engineers decided not to climb into the suspension. The five -door car, like the sedan, copes well with small fossa, but it can already carry serious potholes with difficulty. But the handling is quite worthy. Although comfort largely depends on the discs with 17-inch wheels Cruze seems harsh, and with 16-inch the car becomes softer.
That we have lost
In Russia, the five -door Chevrolet Cruze will be sold with gasoline engines: 1.6 l (109 hp) and 1.8 liters (141 hp). Moreover, both are combined not only with a mechanical, but also with an automatic box. These motors are already familiar to us well, so there will be no revelations. But in Europe on Cruze put another 1.6 liter engine, which produces 124 hp. It is not only more powerful than ours, but also more economical, the average consumption of a 109-horsepower unit is 7.3 liters, and the European motor is content with 6.6 liters. Why were we deprived? They say that the old motor is less demanding on the quality of the fuel, and its price is smaller. Of course, 124 European horses are driving a car than our 109, but also copes with its tasks intended for Russia. Most importantly, the 1.6-liter engine is honest. You do not expect much from it, therefore there are no big requirements for dynamics. At the same time, there is enough motor for driving around the city, and on the highway it just needs to be more hard to promote.
While the diesel engine on the Chevrolet Cruze will be only one 2.0 liters, 163 hp. But at the end of the year in Europe, the sale of a car with the latest 1.7-liter unit will begin, which produces 131 hp. Although the indicated amount of horsepower is the approximate motor undergoes the last tests, and perhaps its characteristics will still be changed
The 1.8-liter Cruze, of course, is more dynamic. But if you come to the Chevrolet car dealership, then in no case do not believe the tales of sellers that Cruze 1.8 is a racing rocket. Is not! When you drive on such a machine, there is a feeling that the designers created an inviolable reserve from a couple of dozens of horsepower, which are hiding somewhere under the hood. Of course, you can get access to them, but for this the motor will have to be promoted to the red zone.
However, in Europe, Cruze is also sold with a 2.0 liter diesel engine. This is another matter! The power of the unit is 163 hp, and the torque is 360 nm. (The old engine of the same volume had 125 hp/300 nm or 150 hp/320 nm). The motor can be safely attributed to the category of correct ones. It is worth it to press the gas pedal more hard, as the diesel engine instantly spins, and the car shoots forward. Compared to it, gasoline 1.8 nervously smokes on the sidelines. And smokes bulls. Although personally, I would take diesel Cruze not with mechanics, but with a machine gun. Yes, the car will lose in dynamics and efficiency, but at the same time such Cruze will be spared from the situation oh, again stalled. And from the habit, it is easy to get into it as simple. Modern diesel engines do not forgive improper work with the clutch pedal. In addition, the machine for Cruze is six -speed and very sensible. True, in Russia diesel Cruze, and even with an automaton, would be very expensive, and its sales would be measured by units. Surely this is why we will never have such a motor.
What we pay for
As already mentioned, the Chevrolet decided to make a hatchback for 10 thousand rubles. more expensive than sedan. That is, the machine in the basic configuration with a 1.6-liter engine (109 hp) will cost 563 thousand rubles. In fact, not so little, especially if you recall that there is no air conditioner (the dignity of Cruze is the presence of at least four pillows and music). A five -door Cruze with air conditioning and heated front seats is already 599.5 thousand rubles. Hatchback with 1.6, automatic and kondem will cost 634 thousand rubles. What do competitors offer us? We will say right away we will not list everyone, there are too many of them. Let us dwell only on the most popular class hatchbacks C.
Ford Focus costs from 499 thousand rubles. The model in the Trend configuration with air conditioning, the musical system is already 581.5 thousand rubles. (engine with a volume of 1.6 liters, 105 hp). True, there will be only two airbags. But for 601 thousand rubles. You can already buy Focus with six pillows and the last stabilization system in the basic Cruze. And Focus with a machine gun, more precisely, with a double clutch PowerShift, and a 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 125 hp. You can buy for 637 500 rubles. (with six pillows 650 thousand rubles).
The new Opel Astra is more expensive than Chevrolet Cruze. The basic version with a 1.4-liter engine (100 hp) costs 593.9 thousand rubles, but for the air conditioning and heating the seats, it is necessary to pay extra 613.9 thousand rubles. (The stabilization system and four pillows will already be). And Opel Astra with a 1.6 engine (115 hp), automatic transmission and kondej will cost almost 690 thousand rubles. for 56 thousand rubles. more expensive similarly to equipped Cruze. True, let's not forget that Opel is now selling the previous generation Astra (also not the worst, by the way, a car). So, the five -door Astra Family with four pillows, ABS and air conditioning with a 1.6 -liter engine (115 hp) costs 599,650 rubles, and the same car with a robot of 619 650 rubles. (that is, automatic Astra Family is cheaper than the Cruze hatchback).
Skoda Octavia is an expensive car. Hatchback with a 1.6 liter engine (102 hp) starts with 599 thousand rubles. (There is another 80-horsepower version of 1.4, but we are not considering it now), and the equipment will be very modest. A car with automatic transmission and air conditioning will cost almost 670 thousand rubles. And this is without full -time music and with one pillow! In general, the selection of options in Skoda Octavia causes easy bewilderment. Indeed, for example, four pillows are available only by car in the maximum configuration with climate control, cast discs, a cruise and other excesses.
KIA CEED with a 1.4 liter engine (109 hp) costs 539.9 thousand rubles, but the pillows will be only two, and the equipment is very poor. CEED in a more or less decent configuration with six pillows and an engine of 1.6 liters (122 hp) will cost 619.9 thousand rubles, and a machine with a machine gun costs 649.9 thousand rubles. That is, the Korean is a little more expensive than Cruze, but the motor here gives out a larger number of horses, and the equipment is a little richer.
Cruze also has an internal enemy Chevrolet Lacetti. But this model is already morally obsolete, and its equipment is much easier. True, all this is compensated by a more interesting price. Lacetti with an engine of 1.6 liters (109 hp) and mechanics costs 520.7 thousand rubles, and the model with automatic transmission is sold for 557.3 thousand rubles. almost 77 thousand rubles. The automatic Cruze (air conditioning and ABS in such Lacetti is cheaper, but there are only two airbags).
Denis Smolyanov, Dmitry Gaidukevich
Photo by Denis Smolyanov and Chevrolet
Source: Auto.mail.ru
