[GTO]

Originally Posted by KRf1

Great review Tsk .
So is this the beginning of the end of the ugly new Laura and the boring Jetta ?

Not at all. The Laura & Jetta offer a level of finesse & sheer interior quality that is missing in the Cruze. Their dynamics are seemingly superior too. However, if the Cruze is priced competitively, it will help keep the Euro diesel premiums in check. Right now, the Jetta / Laura are the only diesels in that segment that actually sell.

Originally Posted by 1-Testosterone

But then how do you contend with Jetta's "Bullock Cart" engine?

That engine does 0 - 100 in 11 odd seconds. Pretty quick for a diesel sedan and fuel efficient too.

[tsk1979]

I would like to reinforce a point here. Do not dismiss this car as an "american", and that it cannot compete to Japanese quality or European build. Quite the opposite! The test car had 7500+ kms, and had been thoroughly abused, yet not a single rattle emanated from anywhere, and the engine revved like new.
Normally road test cars are abused to a great extent, and driven at great speeds on bad roads etc., Surviving such ordeal day after day and that too without a single rattle, its commendable

[vikrantj]

Great review. I have started getting mails from Chevy saying to expect "All Muscle , All Soul and All New" . And also the countdown timer shows 5 days 1 hour 59 minutes as of now.

Here is that link "http://www.chevroletsalesindia.com/"

Just a observation the review says "reeks with quality" , well reek literally means "emit a unpleasing odour" . Hopefully that is not the case.

[vivekanand005]

That was an awesome review TSK it covered all the prospects of the car. the car looks cool let"s wait for the pricing and the news of automatic version.

[suman]

Excellent review Tanveer, you've covered every possible angle that a potential buyer would like to know! I must confess that I'm disappointed with the lack of rear seat space, the absence of side & curtain airbags, the clutch release action & the annoying turbo lag.

I guess its success or failure entirely hinges on the pricing - lets see how aggressively GM takes this up!

[pradster]

Impressive review!
I believe its the price which will make or break this car in India, hope chevy can price it well or market it well enough to suit the placing of this product.
The car barely looks its part as an american car ( if that species still exists, SUVs are not considered) the plethora of cupholder being the definitive american trait, this car passes that test but as I said, barely.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The ground clearance is unimpressive. At 165mm, it’s easy to scrape on bad roads. However the short wheelbase helps in some respects, and she clears out most obstacles with ease, but be wary of the front where it’s easy to scrape the bumper.

I am quite intruiged by this recent trend (Linea, City, Civic etc), previously one would hear of automakers tweaking suspensions to offer a raised riding height for their desi offerings, has this been discontinued?
Have they decided that they will not foul the handling of the car at the cost of a few bumps and scrapes? or have they collectively figured that the quality of the roads and where you drive the car is not their problem, its between you and the govt?

[jkdas]

Someone at TBHP TRV booked one last day. Dont think he will be able to post about is though as he has some issues with login/posting :(

He will get the correct price later today.But roughly its 14.2 OTR here at TRV.

[dhall_gagan]

Excellent Review....
So how does one places this against Corolla and Civic.... as I think Indians might go with a Badge rather than a American GM Car....

[jaaz]

Nice and in-detail review. There's Press Launch Today. I'll be attending the same and check out the price.

[thegman]

Originally Posted by Caramelo

but your pics make it look so hot. i bet its damn good looking. and you are right its love it or hate it looks. first i thought what an odd looking front end. but the more you watch the more you get the feel of it. and i now think its best looking in the segment period!!

couldnt have said it better myself!

Originally Posted by Klever

A truly fantastic review and the quality of the pics is amazing.
I just hope GM prices this beauty right!!!

Absolutely awesome review. Thanks! Overdrive or Autocar should hire you! Your review really gives a true feel for the car in a very non-biased manner.

Originally Posted by thermalpaste

The cruze, at least for now will compete directly with the linea and not the laura. GM may be gunning for the Laura, Corolla and the Civic with the cruze, but this car definitely not competent enough. I may be wrong, so before we get into a debate, I would like to inform all who disagree with me that I am just speculating.

Are you serious?! How can you even think of comparing this to a Linea?

Originally Posted by dhall_gagan

Excellent Review....
So how does one places this against Corolla and Civic.... as I think Indians might go with a Badge rather than a American GM Car....

Very good question! Inputs please tsk1979 as i am seriously considering buying this one? Better still...if you had the cash and could select any one of the 3[civic,altis,cruze] which one would you personally go for?

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I would like to reinforce a point here. Do not dismiss this car as an "american", and that it cannot compete to Japanese quality or European build. Quite the opposite! The test car had 7500+ kms, and had been thoroughly abused, yet not a single rattle emanated from anywhere, and the engine revved like new.
Normally road test cars are abused to a great extent, and driven at great speeds on bad roads etc., Surviving such ordeal day after day and that too without a single rattle, its commendable

You make an excellent point here! Ive had the opportunity to sit in one of the Mercedes E220 s that came back from the testing run with all the auto mags some years ago...and even that car got a true lashing!
Forget about quality testing a car...just give it to a bunch of auto-mag reviewers and if it comes back OK, youre good to go.

[normally_crazy]

Simply awesome and a very comprehensive review Tanveer. Killer pics to go with it.

So the space hasn't quite turned out to be space enough. Also the ground clearance and turbo lag seem to be the major worry. Now let's hope that GM prices it just right !

BTW - What's the price anyone here would pay for this car ?

[bashani]

IMO 12-13 Lac(ex showroom) bracket for the top end LTZ is reasonable.
Anything above that would divert customers away.

[ShyamSCrdi]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Someone at TBHP TRV booked one last day. Dont think he will be able to post about is though as he has some issues with login/posting :(

He will get the correct price later today.But roughly its 14.2 OTR here at TRV.

Hmmm! Thats a nice price actually something competent to the civics and the corollas.

@tsk - superb review and nice pics too.

Shyam

[bashani]

Just drove it for an about an hour or so.
The car has major turbo lag but not something you can't live with.
The rear is not comfortable at all as my friend who was sitting was complaining abut the hard and upright seats within 30mins of the drive.
Rest of the car is smokin hot.
Its got a butch front, just cant get over that. I guess even Chevrolet knows that hence in the teasers they are just highlighting the front.
The ride was good, the car easily managed really bad roads. Did not feel the bumps, those big tyres and the suspension lay out absorb the bumps pretty well.
They have one sure customer in me if priced right.

[tsk1979]

Bashani, how did you find clutch springback action. did you get a chance to drive it in bumper to bumper traffic, for example toll gate lines?
And tell me, when you first started the drive, did you stall the engine?