It’s finally here! Malaysians have been promised the Chevrolet Cruze for quite some time now, starting from mid last year. In fact, yours truly was part of a media contingent sent by GM to the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show, where we got to drive the group’s (then) latest pride and joy. Held in a public park, it was far from a proper test drive, so we were happy to go on a drive to Kuala Terengganu to confirm/debunk those first impressions.
The Cruze replaces the Chevy Optra, but has a different sort of upbringing. While the Optra was a Daewoo designed model, its successor is billed as a Global Car, with GM’s various outposts (GMDAT Korea and Opel) sharing development duties. Testing was spread across continents, with Korea being just one of the few global production hubs for the Cruze alongside China and the US. Naza subsidiary Pavilion Crest gets its supply from Korea, and the single spec Cruze 1.8 retails at RM98,767.60 OTR without insurance.
Continue reading the report after the jump.
The Cruze comes into a segment dominated by the Japanese; names like Civic, Corolla and Lancer have been with us for more than 30 years, and that’s a long time to gain market trust and acceptance. The Chevy will have to battle for the cheques of the more open minded among car buyers, who already have the Kia Forte and Peugeot 308 to choose from. Coincidentally, both are also distributed by the Naza Group.
As you can imagine, it’s not an easy task, and we feel that most (if not all) of the Cruze’s prospects will throw a glance or two at the sharply styled Kia. For the record, the Forte 2.0 is cheaper and better equipped than the Cruze, and the 1.6 SX costs nearly RM20K less than the Chevy, which is a lot of money in this segment.
But surely the Cruze has something going for it? It does. Chevy’s latest sits on GM’s Delta II platform, which is the best compact car platform the company has at its disposal, and the same one used by the current Opel/Vauxhall Astra in Europe and the Chinese market Buick Excelle. It was engineered to claim all five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, even if our Cruze can’t quite take full plaudits with only two airbags. Still, a strong frame (torsional rigidity is up by 140% over the Optra) is the best safety feature a car can have, and that’s standard fit here, as are ABS with EBD and Traction Control.
Under that heavy hood (lift repeatedly to build biceps) is a 1.8-litre Ecotec engine with 140 bhp and 176 Nm of torque at 3,800 rpm. We are told that this is an Opel sourced engine, a twin-cam 16-valve unit with DCVCP (Double Continuous Variable Cam Phasing) and VIS (Variable Intake System). The figures are competitive, and GM is the first in the C-segment to offer a six-speed automatic gearbox with Shiftronic.
The package looks quite promising on paper, but not fully satisfying in practice. Three adults on board, the Cruze really had to be worked hard to maintain a fast pace on the trunk road from Jabor to Jerangau, and the gruffy Ecotec isn’t a rev happy unit, protesting with loud boominess from mid to high rpms. This finding is consistent with the Cruze I drove in China, although the 1.6 that’s not available here revved slightly sweeter, if memory serves right.
There are no major flaws in how the six-speed auto works, although it prefers smooth overlapping into the next ratio rather than quick, clean shifts. Manual override is good to have.
But it has to be said that the cars we drove to Terengganu were fresh off the port – perhaps they’ll be smoother with more miles on the odo. By the way, kerb weight is 1,315 kg and the 0-100 km/h sprint is completed in 11.5 seconds, while top speed is 190 km/h.
Bear in mind that the above paragraph described an “as fast as possible” scenario common in media drives. Calm things down a notch or two, like we did on the highway, and the Cruze is clearly more at ease. There’s a sense of solidity and heft not found in the Civic/Altis and the insulation from wind and tyre noise is very, very good. It’s silent all the way to 150-160 km/h, where you’ll finally hear some wind rustle – a library compared to the Civic! Funnily, you’ll hear more of the road and tyres from the rear seats than in the fronts.
With the engine ticking quietly slightly below 2,000 rpm in sixth, the Cruze a very good cruiser indeed. The only time peace is disrupted is when the gearbox kicks down to fourth; the highest two ratios can’t be used for overtaking. The curves of the Karak highway revealed steering that’s nicely weighted, but with very little feel from the 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock position.
Body roll isn’t an issue and the Cruze rides well both on the highway and on poorly surfaced roads. On the latter, potholes, bumps and rough tarmac are easily dealt with by the well-damped suspension. If you hear “European tuned” in the sales pitch, this could be what they were referring to. There’s a decent amount of travel to the suspension (front MacPherson struts, rear torsion beam) and the body moves around quite a bit on uneven B-roads, but the Cruze tracks and grips well. As a whole, ride and handling is good. The brakes are adequate and pedal feel is decent.
The Cruze driver sits in a sporty environment, with a good driving position and steering wheel that’s adjustable for reach. The wheel itself is not covered with leather, which isn’t a deal breaker for me as it isn’t too slippery and quite chunky to hold. Then you notice the empty left spoke and realise that the Cruze doesn’t come with cruise control. Curiously, there’s also no left foot rest for the driver.
The chrome hooded instruments look good, but aren’t that easy to read at a glance. Both stereo and air-con share the prominent central display, where you can also alter the car’s settings, such as turning the reverse sensors off or altering the duration the lights remain on, and so on. Plastics are not of the soft touch variety, but that’s expected.
The unique thing about the Cruze’s interior is the swathe of fabric across the dash, which continues on the door panels. I loved this idea when it was in grey, but our cars came with blue fabric (regardless of exterior colour), which i personally thought looked cheap and strangely retro. The fabric covering the seats didn’t feel very premium either. Not to all tastes, so go check it out yourselves.
Moving to the back, the rear bench looks very flat, but offers decent comfort. Head and legroom should be adequate for most average sized Asians. That plunging roofline, which is described as “coupe-like” by Naza/GM doesn’t seem to come at the cost of headroom. For a mental picture of the Cruze’s size, it’s 57 mm longer, 42 mm taller and slightly wider than the Civic, while its 2,685 mm wheelbase is just 15 mm short of the Honda’s class leading 2,700 mm. Luggage capacity stands at 450 litres and there’s a full sized spare under the boot floor.
While the C-segment isn’t short of players, the Chevrolet Cruze is a welcome addition. It’s not perfect (it deserves a better engine, for instance) but is certainly a capable contender. Despite the lower price, it’ll be hard to see those already set on a Civic/Corolla/Sylphy turning to the Cruze, which leaves us with the Kia Forte. Who will prevail? Let’s look at the sales charts a year from now.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Actually what’s so good about this Cruze ? For 100K, I rather get a Civic 1.8 or Altis 1.8 ?
so go and get ur civic and altis…why shout at here…
look at the price tag b4 u comment ‘what so good…’
Have you tested the car? compare both ?
put your hand on and you will have the answer.
Cruze is a driver car..
If you ask what is so good about Cruze, my answer back what is it so good about Altis/Civic?
he’s working for toyota ma….
mock like a dog…just buy saga..all Good about New Saga. Can also reach 100km/l less than 1/2 hour
Yeah, why become a fool here, go get the boring Civic and Altis. The Cruze is here to jolt the market and open up the eyes of the conventional man.
based on spec..civic might be a strong competitor..but altis..no..no. still with 4 speeder tranny.
you’re not making a any sense at all my friend. The Cruze is imported, whereas the Civic is locally assembled. That already has a lot going for it. I’ve tried the Cruze a few weeks ago and not surprisingly, drives well, possesses a well-insulated interior, looks good inside and outside, and most of all, a big price advantage.
Honestly, i wonder if you have even tried the Cruze. Quite possibly, a sizeable majority of those who bashed this car has never driven it before.
Are you sure you’re not a salesman?
nah, i’m a college student who happened to test drive the Cruze not long ago. And the car is pretty good for what it is, if not close to the Focus/Golf category, but it sure runs rings round the antiquated Corolla Altis, not to mention the other Japanese counterparts by a few aspects. Not perfect, but good enough for us Malaysians.
Yeah..you are absolutely right. For those who haven’t driven it before, pls don’t comment blindly.
Definitely not to compare to the Germans (Ford is being design by Germans). But Korean cars are now posses treat to all major car manufacture in this world and being honored with one of the best selling award in US, European and Australia market. It is time for us to realize the best car to buy are not from it badge but as a car it self what it can do for you.
okok, before u make any evaluation, why not you test drive this car first.. happy driving~ ;)
japan’s car fan…always like that….
typical malaysian attitude,always go for T&H.when r u guys gonna understand dat they are selling crappy cars at a very high price cuz we give them to much support.plus chevrolet is a reuptable car with very good designs.Other reputable cars such as Citroen,Renault and Pegeout dare not bring in more models cuz they noe that malaysian wun buy them,unless its name starts with a T or H,this limits our choices for good vehicles.
I agree with you. I feel that the Japanese are giving cheap cars with a high pricetag. I would definitely go for European cars when I can afford one.
T&H have good resale value. That’s y people opt for T&H rather than Chevy, Renault bla2..
Besides, spare parts & maintenance is more economical compared to other makes.
What say u?
How’s this for a start. A front bumper for the MC Accent, which i drive now costs RM1300. What about the Vios? Well, the part stockist in Kah Bintang, who happens to drive a Vios himself, quoted a whopping RM2000 when he went to replace his bumper after he was involved in a frontal collision. That’s almost 60 percent more! A Vios foglight costs RM700 a piece, whereas the MC Accent costs just RM530. How’s that for a start. They may not have rock-solid resale values, not as common as the usual Japanese, but boy, Korean cars are really easy to repair and these days, hammers the reliability of Japanese cars.
T&H got a good resale value because they are on high demand. And why T&H got a good resale value, because people say they are good. And the words pass on. Even a school kid say T&H are good (they don’t even have a license). If the Cruze in on high demand, the 2nd hand vale will goes up too.
But all in all…buy a car which you tested and judge it your self. No use hearing what people say. Go try out the Cruze, then we compare it with the HC and the TA…and other japz car. And I am not a car salesman…
nice car
the cross like logo…naza should modify,………please be more sensitive to muslim consumer…
its only a LOGO…plz dont think narrowly…ISLAM is simple and easy…dont make it hard…
Its not about narrow thinking. I think the logo is its biggest error on getting on the muslim buyers. Having the logo its like wearing it on your neck. It follows you where ever you go. I like the design. I think its better than the civic or altis but the logo really spoiled my feeling for it. So, its a no go for me. Its really feels like being provoked. Well its just my 2 cent. Cheers
Its not a cross logo, but a bow tie logo.
If cross, the longitudinal side is more longer compare to latitudinal.
Just my 1/2 cents
Yeah, stop being so narrow minded. If that’s the case, proton should not have been sold in any country with Christians (or any other religions than Islam) as Proton’s previous logo with crescent and star symbolizes Islam( I presume).
Like what Aly said, Islam is a beautiful religion. It got worse because of narrow minded believers like you.
Proton original crescent and star was removed in UK. I supposed these are narrow minded Christians.
@salambangi – and now Proton replaced the ugly crescent and star logo with a tiger logo. Looks like Proton themselves are becoming pagans?
Hahaha! Actually I second that :P Well, not to the extent that they have become pagans. But yes, such depictions (of animals) are not allowed in Islam actually… I wont say Pagans, but more to Ignoramus :P
Just replace the logos with a pic of your face. That’s the best.
my friend
chevrolet is selling like hot cakes here in Saudi with the SAME logo that you are sensitive about. Come on men, even Alfa Romeo’s logo got the cross symbol , then what about that two cross wood (which looks like a cross) we normally erect behind our yard to dry our clothes. we need to destrroy that too!!! grow up my friend.
LOL…… not to mention the red cross of the England football team…..
there are lotsa cross around us……. don’t get offended so easily yeah….
RAZIBAR I am ashamed sometimes why people think that way. It’s just a logo. It got nothing to do with religion. Even it’s a moon and a star, or whatever it is..it’s still a logo. A logo tells a brand. We see 3 diamond shaped joining at 1 end, we see Mitsubishi…we see a H, we see Honda. We see a tick/pass sign, we see Nike. we see a squared Q, we see Compaq…
Handsome78 should also condemn Proton drivers who carry around the tiger symbol around their necks which is also a form of idolatry punishable with hell fire.
For the love of God and enthusiasm for automobiles, please read a good modern day english translation of the Quran (rather than merely admiring its arabic tunes), visit Mecca and study the religion well before posting such statements. Don’t misrepresent this beautiful religion.
I bet handsome78 drives a Proton…
i bet handsome78 is handsome
Christian logo? Are you serious???
Actually i test drove this car, i prefer it to Civic. But the logo spoil my feeling for it. Cos it make me look like driving St John’s ambulance. LOL. oni joking. NOT. No, serious. joking.
Begitulah dhoif nya pemikiran org Islam di Malaysia sekarang ni.. Habih suma benda segala macam dalam donia ni depa ingat sebagai cobaan puak kafir yakni kristian, buddha, hindu, jehovah witness etc utk menghancorkan Islam. Sampai logo kereta Chevrolet pon depa punya akidah boleh goyah… kata jadi Islam bertaun2… awat masih bodo piang lagi..
Saya sokong Finalist Imam Muda, Saya seorang pemilik kereta Chevrolet. Rakan-rakan sekerja pun ada yang berpendapat negatif pada logo Chevy’s. orang Islam la ni begitu sensitif dan peka pada perkara-perkara yang bertentangan dengan Islam hingga tanpa disedari menyempitkan fikiran mereka. Bukan Islam pun naik takut. Hakikatnya tanpa disedari yang bising-bising ni mereka hanya Islam keturunan tapi tidak mengamalkan ajaran Islam. Sampai logo Chevy’s pun dah disalah ertikan. Lain kali baca bibliography logo Chevy’s kalau nak tahu sebelum bercakap tak guna akal.
I am a Muslim myself… but I really2 find it surprising that people are saying that it resembles a cross. Its something like comparing it to the COCA COLA logo and also saying that it has some hidden codes saying bad things about Islam. To me, insyaAllaah it wont be a problem because its not even a cross to begin with. I beg of any Muslims out there not to think this way. It’s not a provocation (this is not Israel we’re talking about)… its just a logo. To make it look like a cross, you have to rotate the logo first But even then, it still doesnt look like a cross. Just my 1 cent :)
Logo is just a logo and how u look at it. Im a Muslim, dont make us look like we are against everything. Even on a simple logo. If that logo is a problem, i guess u cant really use the ‘+’ sign when doing maths also.
well said my friend!!!!!
good one bro!
Haha…good one. We need more modern grown up people like you.
Mr Handsome,
I’m a muslim and i don’t understand your comment. I mean c’mon.. get a life dude, from where i am sitting now i can see hundreds of crosses.. now do i have to close my eyes not to look at them.
For your info GM has big “Pak Arab”followers in the middle east and i don’t think they’ve ever complain about the logo.
Maybe our education ministry should also consider to modify the “campur” symbol in our mathematics classes, to be more sensitive to the muslims pupils lah katakan.
I am happy to see more and more open minded Malaysian…1 Malaysia, one day soon…
Nanti dia kata Islam depa laeennnnnnn…. itu wahaabbi… tak sama macam dia..
My muslim family have been using chevy optra since 2004, the logo does nothing to the faith, believe me..
Sensitive to muslim customer? C’mone… why now? Do u have nothing else to talk about?
Are you serious? I’m a muslim but I don’t see a cross on that car. It a Chevrolet logo which is quite different from a cross. Kembang la sikit otak tu bro. Buat malu orang Islam saja. Takkan semua benda yang bersilang mahu dianggap salib?
In Saudi Arabia, chevrolet are like protons here. Nobody makes a big deal about the bow-tie logo. ok je…
Only those whose own faith is not strong will feel insecure about their own religion.
dah agak dah comment macam ni akan keluar. expected.
wow, having a that cross symbol for a car will shake your beliefs? this is impressive!
Alfa romeo logo also got cross. Some more got snake lagi. Reminds me of shields in King Arthur movies.
typical malaysian…. after this, chevy come out with a green car, they say PAS car…hahaha… but blue car is ok… because if u drive the car, it looks like as if ure a gov supporter…
im working in a gov and i hear a lot of craps like these….
which gov agency that you works?
Oh come on………….
ITS NOT AN ISSUE!
Its been discussed before. Its a bow tie!! Yes muslims can’t wear the cross, but only what is obviously seen as a christian cross. Kalau camtu hang nak buat math pun tak bleh!! 1 ‘+’ 1…
agree..cnt use ‘+’ icon..cant write ‘t’ letter..
cant even drive with your car anywhere…
cause there are cross-junction everywhere… !!!
if u think the logo is bothering u, then go buy your proton lah
i got info that well known ‘ustaz’ in our country also use chevy car. so u wanna say that he’s wrong to use chevy with that so called ‘cross’ logo? it’s actually a bow tie..not a cross. and if u;r particular abt cross..go and change the ‘t’ letter into something else.
its ustad ravi.. yeah his 1.8 optra have some warraranty issue that i sort out .. and yes he didnt complaint a single thing when we asked how is the car…. (i used to work for the brand )
huhu apa lah punya mangkuk ko nie ko ckp jer lah ko takde duit nak blame logo konon..lau macam tu ko tulis tu jgn guna hurut ” t ” nampak mamcam cross wei rosak akidah ko.. jgn guna + kang ko ilang pedoman lak.. seriously ko nie belja kat mana yek? aku betui kesin kat hang nie..aku org kampung pung takda nak pikiak mcm tu..
bro.. u tell JKR change the junction of four.. cannot.. HARAM is it?? stupid lah you.. I’m a Muslim also.. 80’s mentality.. it just a logo without hidden meaning..
It’s a BOWTIE! Idiot!
alamak..!!! tlng laa…!! pasni kena tukar laa grill pintu, pintu utama, mozek lantai… semua bentuk cross…
AAHHHH..!!!! ngarut,..!!! tlng laa.. cross atau salib mcm “+” atau “t”.. tp lu pikir laa bro.. kalau “t” pun salib,mcm mana HANG TUAH boleh wujud.. org kena tulis Hang UAH laa.. xdak maha”t”hir, jd MAHAHIR.. c’mon laa.. Islam itu mudah, jgn nk simpul2 kan.. pokok pangkal nya, kita punya niat itu penting.. kalau ko kata bow tie tu salib, maka salib la ia..
sori sbb ngarut2, aku geram dgn org2 yg ske bt persoalan mcm tu..
BTW, i’ve test this car with my fellow friends.. we decide that this car was nice.. one of my friend already booked this car.. get it in few days, maybe.. WAAA.. i juz drive my Wira..
omg! dude, the cross logo, vertical “louvre” is longer than the horizontal ones. omg! janganlah malukan orang melayu and Islam here please, u’re so noob
LOL! It’s funny how Arabs seem less ‘arabic’ than Arab-wannabes here.
Btw, nice car but dash would look nicer without the blue fabric.
dont make this an issue, it has nothing to do with what ever symbols.. Swatch has such symbols.. etc
oi bangang, go ride a camel bah! buat malu org malaysia!
It’s just a logo and it’s not a cross. Please have some intellect and be more sensitive to the human race.
stop been so narrow minded. everything also cannot. No wonder our country havent improve at all since independence. Look at our closest neighbour. well u know the rest..
Feel so shame still got narrow minded ppl like handsome78. But is good to see more and more open minded Muslim & Malaysian.
I’m not Muslim but i sincerely believe was a open minded & beautiful religion.
bro its just a car,why do u need to miz religion and automobiles.dun be so kolot la
its Chevrolets logo u idiot. not naza’s
for those who asked, u can change the color to full black/grey interior for any car colour. drive was good. the kia forte was noisier when i drove it.
Its not a cross nor NAZA, its Chevrolet logo, live with it, its not your company.
The world doesn’t turn because of muslim, dont bring religion issue here! Shame on you
Btw, you can always change the logo to your “handsome” face. I bet a Black & White photo of your face photo putting infront of it look excellent and great.
its a bowtie badge …please laa…its just a logo….tu pon nk gado2
hello there’s a difference between an X and the christian crosslah… now can’t buy a car coz there a X on it…hahah… if thats the case..stop supporting and using MU shirtlah.. got devil on it wat… so if other religions symbol is a issue but setan logo not a issue…
wat a joke…! now that wat i call sesat…!
wht the problems about the logo?? its only looked alike,not a cross..its bow tie.
nah,kalau ye pon terlalu sensitif pasal logo,u jgn guna handphone,kalkulator..sbb semua ada lambang+..
Lousy engine, boring design (bit of cerato looks)
we could do better with that 98k…
i know! i know!
proton perdana v6 rite? see i pandai-pandai one…
Horrible cloth interior. Will get dirty with age, making it look really ugly. Should have gone with some form of leather, for easier cleaning.
Thats a very nice car!
Err…. I think got typo leh… doesnt the writer mean “successor” in paragraph 2 sentence 2??
Yes, it was a typo. Good spot, thanks!
its more “+” sign like dude … why don’t you modify that as well …
Agreed, more like a slunted “+” sign, shouldn’t be an issue for muslim consumers.
not just +, also the aplhabet t.
In this crowded C-segment, dominated by the Japanese, Cruze stands little chance. Naza needs to capitalize on its Europe / American DNA heavily to make any impact. (But then, even 308, a pure European thoroughbred, can’t do well either.) Looks like, in the minds of Malaysians, it’s going to remain in the same group as Forte, Avante and 308. All of them have to play second fiddle to the likes of Civic, Altis and Sylphy.
Poor, poor Cruze..
Quote “All of them have to play second fiddle to the likes of Civic, Altis and Sylphy.”
Very true …. for now.
But the market situation is changing. If you take US & EU as an example, Koreans are already catching up to the Japs. You may say M’sia is different but dont discount the fact that we are now a global village & sooner or later, this trend will appear here.
IMHO, in M’sia, it will be another 5-10 years before Koreans can seriously challenge the Japs here but dont discount the fact that it is coming.
308 can’t do well? I’ve seen scores of 308 on the road, and their stock was sold out when I enquired about it back in March!
I really like the body, but the rims are too simple. Not so bling-bling.
lol…change to BBS rims lo…sure bling bling one?
for those of you readers who are in their 40s or nearing that, you may recall there used to be a car called opel gemini which unfortunately my dad has the indecency to buy..he thought it was a great idea to buy a car which had german roots (ie. opel platform) married with japanese input, in this case, isuzu. the memories of driving that car is still stuck in my mind and it was not pleasant at all..reading the article above brought back memories of the painful ownership of the gemini..hopefully, the cruze is a better product, especially when you have the kia forte around, which is a definite looker and the peugeot 308 which has a sound engine from the MINI range..tough call..but if i am buying, i would know which to choose though and it is not the korean or u.s brand…
Well… The archilis heal of this car maybe the engine it self… I think it need at least 2.0L at that price to sell well.. As Kia Forte 2.0L is priced around that area and pack more stuff… Except they can offer a smaller displacement 1.6L + turbo, that they may also be a great point to win other competitors also..
Chevrolet = Daewoo = Opel… :-(
Perodua = Toyota = Daihatsu…
even boring..huhuhu
Chevrolet was founded by Louis Chevrolet
Opel was founded by Adam Opel
And daewoo got alot of industries in its branch. Daewoo Electronics, Daewoo Heavy Industries, Daewoo Securities, Daewoo Textile, Daewoo Precision Industries. More like naza here…
to hansome 78
don’t be sensitive to cross – it won’t bite you….
Danny,
Been surfing paultan for some years d and this is in fact my first time to give comment.
Good review, but can be better. If u can read mandarin, try to read some automobile review from china or taiwan, magazines or websites, their reviews are more in depth and packed with more technical knowledges, maybe one day ur review can be more professional. Juz my 2 cents.
1 more thing, maybe u can invest in a dSLR to take even better quality photos of the reviewed cars, that will help boost ur professionalism.
Keep up the good work!!
These pictures are taken using Nikon D80, which is a DSLR. You can read the exif of the pictures using the EXIF Reader extension from Chrome.
My mistake on the camera, bcoz the photos somehow…..maybe bcoz of the weather’s condition during test driving the car, no offense.
FYI Danny is formerly a writer autocar asean and he does have good experience on writing car reviews. His reviews are simple, informative and entertaining at times. I rank him better than some of the so called writters in the star n CBT who are merely “Brochure copy and paste”.
Its good having the cruze introduced in the mysia market but on a tough C segment market, its not attractive enough to get buyers. That just my opinion.
Oh i see, now i get to know more about Danny. =D
Ya i agree with u on some of the writers in the star and CBT but if i am to compare local car reviewers with those oversea, there’s still some space for improvement.
Maybe the local writers have their own way of writing stuff and reviewing stuff but sometimes they don’t review the car thoroughly.
Agreed. I like Danny’s reviews the most on this site. No frills, frank and informative without trying too hard (unlike those nuts in Top Gear Malaysia who come across as pretentious and trying way way too hard but falling flat most of the time)
to kyen
what about the alphabet T in lower caps ” t ” maybe that should be
changed for overly sensitive ppl.
ya bro, it should be censored lo! Ppl … chill k. Poor Chevy ..
agree. We should have some revolusionary change in our national language to take care of the people who are sensitive about it. so we call ‘tangan’ = langan, ‘tidur’ = lidur, ‘otak’ = olak, etc etc etc……
haha..then will be no more Terengganu become Errengganu..Then the lorry like brand Tata cant be use d..So Tata will become AhAh..Or,when wanna back kampung..When the bus is Tata brand..Is better jalan kaki balik kampung..Or, can ask the ticketman the bus brand is Tata or Hino or?? No T @ t also crazy man..Tough wil be Ough..Think wil be Hink..Trade wil be Rade..ha..
The front looks macho, body looks solid. Gives a musculine feel overall. Priced slightly higher than 2.0 Forte with lesser goodies otherwise it may be a good buy compared to the already very expensive Japs C segment cars.
Why is the steering wheel like that? Its so ugly without the silver accent as seen in the Cruze in other countries. Let’s hope they come out with an “enhanced” version later on, coz i’d definitely want this car with leather trim and steering wheel + the silver accents on it. This car sure looks better than the Forte, but is slower…sigh.
more WUA factor…
1st post by White Jack……..go jack ur self with ur Civic/Altis…..i drive one of them and all i can say is both thai and local assembled jap models are as crappy in quality as previous Korean brands…..so as their after sales services…..so dont u dare go give the “japs are better” crap in here bro!
handsome 78…..i am a chevy club senior member and 99% of the owners there are muslims…..so if you dont like the cross then dont buy it……many arabians and indonesians drive chevy brand with the cross logo on it…..i dont think GM/Naza will spend millions to change the logo just for a small group of ppl like u…..salam bro :)
Ha ha ha —- this is supposed to be the famous Chevy “Bow tie” logo.
fully agreed..Kia Forte a good car also..haiz, Jap or Euro car also nevermd la..So long the car no kacau is good..u like the design,price,quality juz go for it..nothing wrong la..Juz like Nike & Adidas..Choose what u like the most..
the vehicle settings look interesting….
everyone has their own taste and preferences.
this chevy cruze is a good car but if you ask me, i’ll surely choose kia forte 1.6sx or 2.0sx.
i’m planning to buy a car in the next two or three years so hopefully there’ll be a few options that time.
meantime, i’m happy with my kelisa :)
don’t think it will succeed. looks bland & is relatively dearer than the Forte. Need to shave 15K to sell well.
I found this car have more plastic interior than the other c-segment, and the plastic looks cheap one. the seat also feels so hard and doesnt gives you comfort when sit inside.
Hmmmmmm, somebody must have gotten the maths wrong.
It is one aggressive looking car with big grill,
Maybe, some people thought it could pass off as an American car therefore can charge more.
er, actually in US they have a hard time selling US car to US ppl.
US ppl love Jap car and German car :)
But they love Korean cars more nowadays, as evidenced by the sales figures, insured values and resale prices.
the chevy logo is not a cross, it’s bowtie logo
“The package looks quite promising on paper, but not fully satisfying in practice. … … and the gruffy Ecotec isn’t a rev happy ”
– EXACTLY. Doesn’t matter 1.4, 1.6, or 1.8… all same. (self-experience)
“There’s a sense of solidity and heft not found in the Civic/Altis… … … As a whole, ride and handling is good. The brakes are adequate and pedal feel is decent.”
– EXACTLY. That’s what “European standard” design handling for. This is actually quite good than major Japs cars!
“It’s not perfect (it deserves a better engine, for instance)…”
– EXACTLY. All Chevrolet cars are under-powered!
1.8 also underpowered ka?
YES. Unless you put 1.8 in SPARK. It may probably fly pass a MyVi (and then crash if the brakes are not up to standard…) hahaha…
Get a chevy if you want to be unique and doesn’t want to REV your engine. It’ll be one of the best available moderately priced continental car available.
If you’re looking for Initial-D type of driving, this car is not for you.
The blue interior is ugly. How bout a pink one?
:)
if looking at Malaysians taste, this car will be nowhere in sales..
Good! Some want a tiny bit more exclusivity…
agreed, less people want to steal as well, I’m a Civic owner and everyday i hear horror story of friends car stolen and robbed.
If I have to nitpick, I’ll say the engine needs more oomph and the tail-light could be better trimmed. Overall, good value for money. It is not a car I would dismiss outright.
Btw, the Chevy logo is a stylised bow-tie.
I have to admit, I have never come across a company stating OTR price but EXCLUDING INSURANCE. I would get the impression that when one says OTR, it should include insurance, therefore, I see as Nasim’s attempt to make a car that costs 6 figures seem like 5 figures. Don’t be fooled folks.
Exactly, OTR price should mean exactly that, on the road WITH insurance. In fact many carmakers are guilty of it as well. Should’ve just named it ITS price for “In The Showroom” price!
IMHO, the car itself is great…only the dashboard n fabric seat make it looks a bit spoil…will looks better with leather trimmed… ;-)
i dont understand why are u so sensitive about the cross. Should we alter the symbol of + in maths? It is just absurd.
need to see this cruze in front of ur eyes. then u will appreciate it. Looks really muscular and bold. seen one 2 month ago at R&R Jejantas Ayer Keroh. Of coz Singaporeans.
care to comment more how the ride goes? european-tuned & well-damped suspension…curious to know perhaps relative comparison to forte/civic.
From the photos, I somehow got the feeling that this “kahwin campur” car came out not quite right. The different styles do not mix very well. In the interior, there are parts that are simple and understated, yet next to it there are buttons and knobs and vents that are shouting for attention.
It’s going to be tough to sell, I think.
BTW, Danny, Paul et al…. I like the way you write the reviews — more on the practical side rather than buried in tons of technical mumbo jumbo. Keep it up.
lol, what did demented rais say about kahwin vcampur, must think 1000 times before doing it. lol!
weh…bile waja 1.8 baru nak keluar..??? ^0^
It looks like a pretty decent car…. but it should have CRUISE CONTROL!!
Even Persona has…aiyaa…
maybe they will for SE model…hahaha
Theres nothing good about this car.Just that they price cheaper than Toyota and Honda you think ppl are gonna plonk close to 100k for this piece of junk which you would have problem selling of years later? THeres a saying,if you want to do it,do it your best.
The Cruze is neither here nor there.Ppl will just fork out a lil extra get a nice Civic 1.8 of just save up more for a 2.0 and a little peace of mind.I can just foresee this to be a utter failure.First the brand is not strong in Msia.Secondly,its got no character at all.Nothing!!
From the date of launch until today,I have not seen a single Cruze on the road except a SG registered one.And dont tell me just because SG ppl buy it,its a good car,just because its a top seller in SG its a good car.PLS!
yea exactly. just like the wira in malaysia. jus bcoz it sold very well doesnt mean its a good car :P
this has always been the f**king malaysian mentality…..you dont bloody drive an Toyota or Honda but u talk like u bloody own one!!! I own a brand new Honda and all i can say is its a bloody crap from day 1 for RM115K price tag……plactic in the car is already giving out after 3months as what my wife’s Aveo is doin after 5 yrs……many honda give out loud clunck sound everytime u engage the gear……Honda SC is a piece of crap……same service at 5 centres as how chevrolets SC treated me.
SO bro……pls dont say any particular brand is good…..every single brand, especially if it is assembled locally, it pure crap……so its better to buy a cheaper crap than to buy an expensive crap as end of the day its all equal crap!
Well ive heard about issues with Honda’s. But as u might already kow, ive had a great past 7yrs with Toyota. Great build quality, excellent after sales service, reasonable maintenance costs and of course great resale value.
So maybe u had a bad experience with Honda and im sure there are those who had bad experiences with Toyota. But when we talk about being bad u have to make an overall observation not just based on 1 case. I personally know of many ppl who have had an excellent experience with Toyota & Honda. I personally have had bad experiences with Korean makes.
honda is a nice looking plastic
be a little open minded….can’t u think of buying another brand instead T n H ??? Civic and Altis may look nice…but have u ever drove a CRUZE…I bet u have not…
Still feel the KIA Forte is better in design and package. With similar Cruze price tag, i can get a 2.0L engine. As I can feel 1.8L for a 1.3 ton chassis, it’s way under power for acceleration.
forte is more “traditional”,
cruze is more “transformers”
drive slower – safety
heavier car – better body / materials – safety
nobody use a 1.8 auto car for racing… we have enough VIOS bullets on the road.
Have not seen this car yet but wondering on the red car. What is the interior colour? Blue car with blue inserts…. so meaning the red car is with……
The red car you see in the gallery also came with a blue interior. I don’t think we get to choose
blue and red wont mix, like fire and water. The blue int. seem horrendous at best.
go leather, add RM2000. problem solved
Aren’t many country flags and logos in blue and red? Matchng colours isn’t just picking those that blend (and are bland). I guess a quick look around at the silver and grey cars here reinforces the inferrence that we have a rather conservertive taste in colours.
3 reasons!
1. Conti-feeling!
2. 6 speed auto gearbox (Civic is 5 speed and Altis is 4 speed)
3. More features than Civic or Altis
Both Honda and Toyota are conning naive people with overpriced low feature cars. Why pay more for less?
Reasons sound valid but hey… what about after sales maintenance, parts and etc…. naive ppl will simply buy anything with 4 wheels.
Wise ppl will always look ahead and there is always no right or wrong. I would say it is always about ppl’s choice.
This is how they get you buying, and then regret…
More features = potential more problem, + inadequate support & warranty = FAILURE.
I know what car u will prefer…
Tata nano, so simple and cheap.. Should be less problem.. :P
I prefer bus 11 then! LOL!
well said!
How do you convine someone to go for this instead of the Forte is very very hard indeed.,
the only thing that is stopping ppl from buying forte over honda city is the after sales service, it feels like proton service center. If they fixed that, it will sell like hot cake, hot and cheap.
This car is rated poorly in Australia in the comparison of 10 compact cars in a well respected car magazine “wheels”. apart from safety and style, this car’s auto box is flawed, acceleration is sluggish and dynamics is flawed.
actually a 5 speed for 1.8 is good enough and leave the 6 speed for your 2.0, more gear ratios, more problems later on.
yes. thats right. the australian reviews also fail to mention fuel consumption which i beleive is the whole point for the existance of this car (at least in the australian market). low on power compared to competition but high fuel consumption. not to mention shoddy build and parts. the recalls are also not reported in the press like those of toyota or lexus. wheels magazine and motor magazine are heavily holden biased, but even they have to agree this isnt worth your money.
durability issues, non existant resale value and spare parts and terrible rear suspension. im no toyota fan but it does make the corolla look good. the mazda 3,corolla, civic, focus, hyundai i30 and kia cerato have this car licked.
but hey, if u must have something with the same brand name as a corvette. this is it.
highway rpm:
6th : 110.00Kmh / 68.32Mph @ 2050 RPM
This car is better in terms of the chassis of the car and the sound proofing. Besides that, it may seem like a pretty good car to buy. But here’s the question, would you spend 100 thousand to pay for a car that doesn’t look like its worth that much?
A car like this will be used everyday. Therefore, it should look like its worth that much. Blue cheap fabric for interior seats? Come on. In general, most people will be frustrated just by looking at the blue fabric dashboard. Other than that, the central display is cheap looking too even though it is quite useful.
However, with 100 thousand, I would get a Civic or a Kia Forte. A Civic provides a better feel and a more superior feeling. It is definitely more comfortable as the seats are well designed to wrap ones buttocks. The dials of a Civic is much more futuristic even though it may be simple. The Kia Forte is 20 thousand cheaper. That is a lot of money! And the looks of the car is much more attractive than the Cruze.
My conclusion is, with a 100 thousand, I’ll rather have a car that makes me feel, like or more, in a 100 thousand ringgit car just to make my money worth it.
Btw, this is my opinion. Not meant to judge anyones point of view yea?
Peace!
is the blue trim a must? as in is there other color you can choose? if they make it compulsary as blue i think it’s a little bad taste and may turn off alot of customers….
How about Kia’s Forte vs Cruze?
Chevrolet Cruze won’t sell well in Malaysia. Believe me!
It’s already NOT SELLING WELL in SG. It’ll be the same here.
the engine bay does look a bit… ‘messy’… uuhhh so 90s…
Guess a auto transmission gear box for a 1.8 Optra cost how much ? A whopping RM 20,000. My friend has no choice but try to scorce from Thailand! Good luck if you plan to buy a Chevrolet.
If you noticed, the Optra 1.8 is much more expensive to maintain than the Optra 1.6. From the timing belts to the engine mounts to basically every other part, the Optra 1.6 is significantly cheaper in terms of parts costs. The Optra 1.8 uses a ZF 4-speed auto gearbox that requires expensive fully synthetic ATF fluid, which explains the high cost of replacing the ATF fluid during service intervals, and the high cost of replacing the gearbox itself!
sorry wrong info, new gear box is RM 30,000. Recon RM 10,000. Figure confirmed !
sometimes i really doubt those people know abt gearbox or not? why so care about 4,5,6 speed???
a peugeot 308, altis can do better and better fuel consumption than 5 speed civic so what say you?
get a truck or bus for 7 speed manual , do you think this is better?
no of speed in gearbox usually do have advantage.
Maybe between 4 and 5, or 5 and 6 speed didn’t have much difference, but still have difference, even only little,provided the engine is the same.
Peugeot 308 is adequate with just 4 ratio because the torque is ok for Vti (160Nm for NA 1.6l engine is above average) and very high for 308 Turbo.
The same goes for Forte,slightly above average torque. (although I gave special consideration because of its stunning look, high spec and very keen pricing)
Electric car can do with just 1 ratio because the torque is huge and instantenous.
Civic is slightly unadequate with 5 ratio to compasate for low torque/revvy engine.
Altis is unacceptable, having only 4 ratio.That’s before you take price into consideration.
But still maintenance is the cheapest(or more accurately easiest) with a very very good service centre.(I have tried Nissan, Honda, Proton, BMW,Toyota service centres, Toyota is the best-only for service centre, not the car itself)
WinMo6.5,
Bus or truck has 9 speeds transmission for sometime already.
letstorque,
Yupe, toyota is the best for service; but for the car itself, it is solely depends how you evaluate it. If you talking about the tech goodies, I think I will agree with you but if you talking about the quality (less major problem) and lifespan (depends how good you take care of the car), it should be better than those you mention above.
Test drove the car
It has a horrible horrible horrible pale blue fabric over the dashboard – it’s atrocious and it’s the bloody thing you’ll be staring at the whole time you drive the car as it makes up a huge proportion. There is no option and you cannot choose any other colour – imagine a red Cruze with that freaking pale blur dashboard. The steering wheel is also a real let down. The missing silver accents make a huge difference – Come on NAZA, how much difference would choosing silver accents over the plain black make?
The fabric seats are terribly poor too. They feel like the seats off a Kelisa or Avanza – rough and brash, nowhere near the smooth velvety feelings of the Altis or Civic.
Fuel consumption is pretty poor. Putting around and a sedate 90 – 110kph brings me only 10.2km/l
Power is sadly inadequate is miles away from the 1.8L Civic, not to mention the 2.0L Civic.
Sadly no cruise control, no xenons too.
Otherwise, sound insulation and NVH is top notch. The gearbox also has an amazingly high top gear for comfortable cruising.
Pardon me, I am quite taken with your claim of FC of 10.2 km/l, given that you just stated that you test drove the car.
May I ask how did you come out with such calculation ?
Did you test drive it the whole day ?
Thank you for your clarifications.
Well you can just reset the fuel consumption meter on the dashboard. Went cruising around DUKE highway to get a feel for highway consumption.
i personally like the speedo and other gauges, reallly cool
Try the Lexus LS 460, an 8 speeder. now THAT my friends, is fun to drive.
This car is a no brainer. How could they possibly launch a car with such a pricing when they know the Kia Forte is there? An unresponsive engine is among the worst things to have. Doenst matter if u have a 6 or 7 speed gearbox.
Anyway, my analysis is that the Cruze will be no match for the Kia Forte in terms of sales and will lose out even more when the Hyundai Avante is launched later. I bet this Cruze will do worse than its predecessor Optra.
Yes it will. Worse than Optra.
I guess the reason why NAZA placed ‘+’ Cruze pricier than ‘NAZA’ forte… … the ‘badge’ speaks for itself le… If ‘KIA’ is placed on the forte (on where it SHOULD BE), the story will be different…
Just like a shoe with a ‘tick’…
I doubt that the Cruze will do worse than its predecessor Optra. It’s obviously a much better model than its predecessor.
Its nothing to do with whether its better than the Optra or not. It all depends on its competitors.
When the Optra was launched which were its competitors? Only the Japs. But now for the Curz it has the Kia Forte and the upcoming Hyundai Avante which are better cars in terms of specs, engine and physical looks.
If the maintenance costs for the Cruze is as astronomical as the Optra (which many mechanics say is more expensive to maintain than even a Peugeot or Citroen), then the Cruze will die off very soon in Malaysia.
The pre-facelift Chevy Optra 1.6 Auto sold out very quickly at RM65k (clearance models, unregistered but one year since manufacture), but not at the RM90k they were intially offered for. My cousin bought one (at the low price) 3 years ago, and is delighted. Nothing’s gone wrong, so no info about spare parts. Routine mainenance cost also negligible. I guess the more shrewed among us who desire a Cruze should wait for it to go on clearance sale before we part with our hard earned Ringgit….
long live the FORTE !
Thank you for the excellent in-depth review Danny. I have to say this car didn’t quite match the standards. I can’t stop on lamenting on the horrible blue fabric on the dashboard, and also the horrible fabric seats, which i feel is poorer than our national car.
The car looks great on on the external, but once you jump inside, it is considerably poor to the Japs imports. Conti-feeling? C’mon… More like Waja feeling. Other than good sound proofing and 6 speed auto gear (for which wont be much of a use in urban driving), this car is a drab for its price tag. That’s why the call them Cruze anyway.. oh wait.. it does not come with the Cruise Control… C’mon NAZA…
Clearly this car meant for Civic, Corrolla (1.8-2.0L) territory. Up next maybe the new Chevy Aveo Sedan to rattle the Vios, City sales too (1.5L segment). Even the new Chevy pick up (Colorado) also finally in equal terms for Hilux, Triton, DMax category. Chevy Captiva also got new facelift soon. Only Chevy Orlando MPV and the new Malibu (Camry, Accord segment) would complete the range here in Bolehland.
Not too late for Proton lah. Rebadge the VW Amarok pick-up as Proton Amok or Kemaruk Truck. Redesign the clown Savvy as close to new Aveo. Extended Saga SportsWagon as mini MPV to compete Avanza. For Perdana, just rebadge the Mitsu 300 whole new bumper is enough. Want some sportcar? Rebadge the Chevy Camaro as Proton Kamarul sports car. All Bolehland ciplak style lah.
Judging from the people who actually tested it out, maybe by next year got clearance sale.
Honestly, in its price range………its ok if you just want a school, supermart runabout, something very few people have and don’t plan to sell it off for the next 10 years.
Meant for people who don’t care about service issues and resale.
It has a unique style. 6 speed…more a gimmick for small engine cars which are struggling to get more power from higher revs already.
time to throw in the free 42″ LCD promo, ops, they were late, World Cup is almost over.
My 25 year old brother in law tested the Chevrolet Cruze a week after it was launched in Malaysia. He commented positively on the dashboard and the interior. And then he went to buy the Mitsubishi Lancer instead. Looks like Chevrolet will have a hard time convincing younger buyers (who can afford more than a City / Vios) as they would most probably prefer ‘angry’ looking Lancer and to a certain extend, Civic.
Ohh lordy me.. Is this what u can only think?!? That the logo looks like a cross?!? Goodness gracious, I truly believe we are going back to Zaman Jahiliah.. Such utter nonsense..
Btw, we’re here to talk about the car.. Not how the logo looks like and such..
Please bring KIA Forte Koup into Malaysia, and this Cruzee will be history…haha anyway, i like MAzda 3 more..haha
the kia forte/cerato koup is impressively good looking. the design should have been in the hands of the germans/japs. the thing will sell like crazy. even in the hands of kia it still is selling good
I drove cruze b4, althought i like the interior and it is well equiped, but the ride is really crap, esp city driving, you wil feel disconnect whenever you try to rev from stop to start! i believe some 1.6L is better than this 1.8L, If you are go for performance kind of chap, forget abt cruze!
saw it in real life, design is nice at the front but no so at the back. interior looks good except the fabric dash looks like the old tiara. I’d prefer the forte..
red car with blue interior?
funny!
See properly, it’s 2 separate cars. The last few pictures will be clearer.
still love my Waja CPS.. Was at thier showroom in PJ (along Federal ) Nobody came to us to even ask or hand a pamphlet
If that cant be done, I dont know how they will deal with me later
Er… Jap. car are more convenient and good in term of after sales service?
Well guys (n gurls probably), why not think this way:
1. Jap. cars = You buy car + after sales service convinient
2. Chevy/Kia/Hyundai etc. cars = You buy car + better specs than jap. – convinient service.
Stop dreamming. Just Buy Forte, 308 (and Cruze if you like) and bear in mind that the good after sales sevice is excluded from the car price. you already gain good car that better specs than jap. car. It just, you do not need to included the extra service calculated in your loan and being charge for interest.
Please make sure you save the extra save money you have gain for the after sales service, parts you needed afterwards.
I’m driving Civic n I don’t think service charge is cheap either. For 5000 km service, Honda will charge not less than RM300. And for major servie (40k, 80k), the overall cost will be neraly RM1000 (not sure what are they doing for 4 hours waiting for that bill. Hopefully, the 4 hours waiting is genuinely productive work being done to my car.
So, it’s win win I think. Buy other than Jap car, you get better and cheaper price, but have to prepare you mindset for headache afterward for service and parts.
:)
If the money they save is to be used for parts, dont forget the big loss in resale values. Who is gonna count for that?
FF likes this.
buy mazda and get 3 years free service.. hahaha
great Jap CBU car at a reasonable price…
the service fee only ma.
the parts are still kene bayar.
based on the gear ratio…..
gear 1 – 4 sprint info:
1st : 56.55Kmh / 35.12Mph @ 6500 RPM
2nd : 87.45Kmh / 54.32Mph @ 6500 RPM
3rd : 135.57Kmh / 84.20Mph @ 6500 RPM
4th : 179.26Kmh / 111.34Mph @ 6500 RPM
I sat in the Cruze at a NAZA exhibition in Sunway.. the seats, honestly, were super comfortable, albeit the really harsh and rough materials used. But honestly, no matter what, a big number of Malaysians, who are cost-conscious and think ahead, will like the Japanese contenders more for its used value, lower maintenance costs, easy maintenance (I mean you can easily find spare parts if you live in rural areas – lets say balik kampung, for your honda, toyota than a Chevy) because people know whats big in Malaysia, and they are still, jap cars.. Im no fan of either, but i did book the 2010 CRV, and not the Captiva coz its just easier and cheaper to maintain.. and im thinking about using it for the next 6-10 years.. im saving for a new house :P
u r saving for a new house?
how fast u can save???
now the housing price fly high!! unbelieveble!!!!! really make me sick!!!!
RM1 Million also cannot buy a decent house!!!
wHY!!!???????
Dude, go for a small house or buy a less expensive car then…
Saving for 20yrs also can’t buy a 1M house…
Doesn’t really make sense though…
I’ll Buy!!!~ if sold 50K…hahah….
I love the look on the front!!!! But the back, hmmm. Not to my liking. Still a very handsome-looking car imho
looks like my waja cps more value for money…..
This is partly continental….ur Waja CPS is just a local junk…..
Hey Guys!
1) The Chevy bow-tie logo : I own a chevy Captiva 2.0 diesel – u know what? The bow-tie logo is HUGE ! I am a muslim, and its a just bloody logo, not a cross. Grow up, some of you people!
2) The Cruze – I sat in one while waiting for my captiva being serviced – not a bad feeling! Will I get one? Probably, when my kids are old enuff to drive my wife’s Viva
3) The Aftersales service – Not a problem to me and my Chevy. Spare parts are a bit slow and harder to get, but you will get them eventually. Unless you are looking for imitations or compatible parts, this car is not for you
4) Chevy Resale value : maybe not so great, but never mind that!
5) Toyota – I owned two toyotas previously. Grrreat cars! But I have to move on.. hehe
6) Proton – sorry proton and EON guys – i had a wira for a 5 years, enuff experiencing.
Be Safe!
Really cannot accept the fabric dash….. really makes it looked cheapp
I looking for chevrolet curze 1.4 Ecotec but the fuel consumption is a bit worry and have low torque compare to Volkswagen.
I need 5 litre/100 km and better torque for 1.4 ecotec
I was think of the Korean and Japanese car manufacturers as ‘opposition’ and ‘ruling government’. Koreans are improving and posing a big threat to the Japs. Overall nice but one thing I don’t understand is the fuel consumption.
Does your friend know how to maintain his car? I drive an Optra and the best is to get the 1.8L model simply because the engine is more robust and so is the tranny. But like any other car out there, you have to make sure that the car is properly maintained. Can you confirm how much does a Vios AT gearbox costs? Yes, around that figure too. The Optra 1.8LT uses ZF 4HP16 gearboxes, and I can tell you this is one smooth shifting tranny. Good things don’t come cheap if you manage to break it!
Having owned an Opel Vectra before, I tend to distrust anything with GM and ECOTEC written on it. Spare parts costs will eat you alive. GM’s engine wiring harness is notorious for rotting in our weather – a replacement costed me RM5,000.
sounds like a great car to have, but in the market dominated by toyota and honda..
you might want to keep this car until u finished paying for it….
we still dont know about the resale value right?
Saw the car today. It looks nicer on the outside compared to the inside. It is quite a big car from the outside but a bit cramped inside. For about RM100k, I think it is pretty decent deal compared to the Civic which is a noisy car. The only problem is that there is hardly any service centres around…. and are there spare parts easily available? This car will be unique because you wont see so many on the road compared to the Civic, Altis…but being unique makes me worry….
I think, 308 in the same price, is way too good compared to all its competitors
I think this is a decent car. Refreshing sights from the normal toyota/honda.. bring it on..
Hey let’s try some new good cars!T & H is so boring!Hyundai,Kia,Alfa Romeo…but Chevy better don’t try!
Test driven it yesterday and came away impressed. Forte looked great on the outside but the Cruze is quite a good ride. Almost just right.
First impression wasn’t good but drving it did feel good. Found the steering impeding the view of the speedo but was so happy with the ride over rough surfaces, it didn’t matter.
Unfortunately, don’t know much about the after sales but for sure I know, the resale value will be “teruk”.
Actually enjoyed driving it. Tyres should have been Bridgestones instead. The non-racing versions.
well i hv tested most cars and found this one to be top three on my list in terms of driving performance. it passed d bump test and for d style i must say go for it if u wan ‘gaya’!
…….cicivic 2.0 better
u mean the made in malaysia local sushi Civic with only a 5 speeder and sound like a lorry when driving
Front look nice but rear & tail lamp is Honda civic..lo…
Apa susah-susah kalau proton logo boleh tukar logo mitshbsi …so tukar ja la…buat nak bising2
People, for the life of me, I really am trying hard to understand how anyone could be so sensitive and psycho himself to this level as to think that a logo could be so intimidating. Why don’t we ban all names/words with the letter “t” so as not to offend anyone.
Maybe people have nothing much to do and keep fantasizing all day long at anything and everything. As for me, I have better things to do to make this world a better place and be a blessing to others. Have a life, get out of your shell and see how beautiful this world is.
Better buy a Proton lancer launching soon~ Proton = europe handling. If u drove any latest proton model you will know how good and better than japanese car.
Proton has got tough body and good handling. just wait for it and try compare again. =D
you work at proton?
hi,i like to ask what’s the diff. with the 2011 chevy cruze which i saw in the website.
The latest offering from Chevy will be a hatch version of this car. Launching in Paris soon…
After reading all of it, i felt being to called to leave a bit cent of my brain. Here it is.
I live in Sarawak, and for all to know, we don’t have a good highway system like u guys have in Semenanjung. In fact, we don’t even have a proper road to be called “Highway”. But still, we have a road.. So, driving a Cruze here is fun indeed. Why? Lemme explain.
1. I’ve driven a Cruze a lot of time already, and it works superbly on any bumpy road, small holes or slope. It is. The suspension feels very comfortable. Turning radius is the best. I can take a sharp u-turn on a single lane traffic lane with FULL PEDAL of gas without skidding to the side. And i saw Mr.Altis doing this, the result? Have to reverse once more and redrive again.
2. FC of this Cruze? Seriously and honestly, its bad when u use this car for town drive especially if u are a type who fill in the gas RM20 per day. Cruze FC are so bad for town driving. I once picked 9.5L/100km on reading. My advice is, go on for full tank, and drive consistently. But on long range journey, its the best. I once driven Cruze from Kuching to Sibu, kinda like a journey from Johor to Genting. And Cruze scored 5.2L/100km for me.. Sounds more reliable. Remember i said, we dont have a highway here. What i mean is we dont have a 4/5 lane highway just like our Semenanjung relatives. But only 2 lane each road. So, its good enough for me to try.
3. RESALE VALUE? this are the topics that makes me sick. Most of our “Bijak Pandai” driver always talking about resale value of a car. Esp those T&H owner.. My god.. Think about it.. We don’t buy a car today, use it 1-2 yrs, n sell it. Does it have to be like that all the time? Menambahkan & memanjangkan hutang.. So, banks gettin richer, where else we’re gettin DUMBER. Pick a good car, no matter what, and if u’re really satisfied, u wanna use it til the end. I even already finished up the loan of my old Iswara. Cuz it still reliable. Dats d prob of our people, keep thinkin on trade-in, sell, trade in, sell.. Havent buy the car yet, but when they see the car, the things they ask is, “HOW MUCH RESALE VALUE AH?”. Cruze is bulit to last, for safety, so why dont juz use it?
Well, dats all for now. Thanks
I would support your comment. Most important is you have the enjoyment and passion in the car. The resell mentality must be off the shelf. Jap cars are no doubt longer in the market that is why ppl has the mentality to think that jap cars are better. Don’t think lowly of cruze. If you try, in my opinion, it wins lot of jap cars.it is solid, stable, gentle. I have used aveo for 8 years and now still using. Die also won’t sell. I learnt some basic maintenance and I save so much. Good car. Now thinking of adding another chevy into the family. Ha ha.
hey howcome our version has that tiny LED screen while in other countris have big LCD display?
just visit the Chevrolet showroom today in Jalan225.
build are solid since this car got 5 star euro ncap safty rating.
some point i will sound up for the seat firm and a bit hard if you compare with jap car,but in Europe standard this call standard(VW Merc BMW fell the same).
engine i do a research a GM Opel with almost new tech in this power plant.emission also good euro 4.power for me are good enough since now i am driving Proton Waja 1.6
the only concern it’s the service calculation total owner for 5 years will cost 8.5k to service your car includes the part.resell never think for this brand since my main point for this car are safety.with isofix child seat traction control abs dual air bag(us version got 10).
still remember i brought my waja for 62 k kosong spec year 2004 got 2k discount.
today sold for 20 k so loosing almost 70% the car don’t have any latest tech to save you and your family life.
yes it have very cheap spare part easy to get.
i vote for this car.will book before 2011 new year the sales man promise me got 4k discount.
Went to the showroom beside federal highway, cergazam if not mistaken.
Tested the car. Here is my rating
Acceleration/Power : 7/10
Comfort/Handling/Noise Resistance : 9/10
Interior : 8/10
Exterior : 8.8/10
Overall : 8.5/10
Drove from the showroom till subang airport road, straight road with few car, manage to pedal till 180km/h.. but struggling hard from 0-110km/h… after 110km/h the car seems to be have some pick up. Cruising on 180km/h with very minimal wind sound, road sound and very smooth/solid on that speed. Car with 5 person including SE.
Would not recommend if used for all time city drive. Suitable for those who travels back to hometown and weekend with family.
banyak komen beli tak jugak
Dear All,
Can anyone which own a chevy cruze how is the car you have been driving? What is the maintenance cost like?
Its the service centre is give chevy car owner the best service & repair?
Kindly please email all the question I have put into this comment box.
thanks,
wmw