Chevrolet Cruze has long gained fame and popularity in the Russian car market. The model was very successfully sold and continues to be sold in sedan and hatchback bodies, however, the manufacturer considered that this was not enough and something new should be added. After a little thought, in 2012 another version of the model we all loved was officially presented, only in the family version - the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon.
Model history
The Cruze model itself has a rather rich history, which cannot be said specifically about the station wagon version. This type was first officially presented at one of the car dealerships in 2012. This event coincided with the updating of the entire Chevrolet Cruze line. The station wagon received a fresh and modern design, 3 trim levels, which will be discussed separately, and also got brand-new engines: a 1.4-liter gas turbo engine, 1.7-liter diesel engine and an updated, improved 2-liter diesel engine. Below is a photo of the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon.
The novelty was very liked by many motorists, and at the moment, Cruze station wagons around the world have sold over 1 million, unless, of course, the statistics are lying.
2015 was the last year of production of the Chevrolet Cruze, and not only in the station wagon, but also a sedan, a hatchback too. There is, of course, an updated version in the back of the J400, but it is only available for the Chinese market.
Appearance
Externally, the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon looks very cool and stylish. Usually family cars, of which this representative is, look boring and uninteresting, but not in this case. Aggressive and sporty “front” in combination with smooth lines and eye-catching faces do their job.
In front of the car are large headlights that directly resemble the eyes of a predator. The large grille looks attractive. It is separated by a strip from the bumper, on which the Chevrolet company logo is mounted. Below on the bumper itself there was a place for an air intake divided into 4 sections. Along the edges in the "shark fins" daytime running lights snugly settled down. And, of course, one cannot fail to say about additional chrome inserts that perfectly complement the overall style.
If you look at the car from the side, you can appreciate its smooth shape. Closer to the rear, a small cut at an angle is noticeable, which again smoothly moves to the trunk door. Roof rails and a small antenna are installed. In the wheel arches are located alloy wheels with a diameter of 16 inches.
The first thing that catches your eye when looking at the rear of the car is the large headlights that look very cool. The medium-sized tailgate separates them. It has a wiper and a small spoiler at the top with an LED brake light. Two more stoppers are located below on a bumper.
Behind the very back door is a luggage compartment of 500 liters. It is possible to fold the rear row of seats and increase the usable volume as much as 1,500 liters. For the station wagon, this is exactly what you need.
Salon
Actually, now you can go to the car interior. In fact, it is no different from a regular Cruze sedan or hatchback. Interior materials are of high quality. Depending on the configuration, several types of finishes are available, from the usual fabric interior to artificial leather. The plastic has not changed at all, it is still as rough, in some places hard and creaks in some places.
Photo wagon "Chevrolet Cruze" from the inside below.
Regarding controls - everything is standard. On the steering wheel are climate control buttons, cruise control, multimedia and answering a call. To the right of the steering wheel is the Start / Stop button.
The front panel is also typical. Of particular interest is the updated multimedia system MyLink, which has acquired a good and high-quality display from LG, a diagonal of 7 inches. Of course, she cannot boast of anything special, but still it is better than what it was. Owners of the LTZ configuration get this multimedia for free, and for everyone else, installing this option will cost 6000 rubles.
Of the special amenities of the cabin, it is worth noting quite comfortable adjustable seats, as well as a full power package, which includes power mirrors, power windows and electric power steering.
Vehicle Specifications
Finally, it's time to talk about the main technical characteristics of the Chevrolet Cruise station wagon. The main interest here is 3 parameters: engines, gearbox and chassis. It is these 3 points that we will consider below.
Engines
In total, 2 types of gasoline engines were installed on the car - 1.6 and 1.8. The Chevrolet Cruz station wagon, which was not manufactured for the Russian market, was additionally equipped with a 1.4-liter turbo engine, as well as several diesel engines, including a two-liter turbocharged engine.
The 1.6-liter engine had a capacity of 124 horsepower, which allowed it to accelerate the car to hundreds in about 12.5-12.7 seconds. The maximum speed reached 191 km / h. By type of structure - this is an ordinary inline four with a transverse arrangement. The fuel consumption of the engine is acceptable: about 9 liters in the city, 5.5-6 liters on the highway, and 6.5 in mixed mode.
The second 1.8-liter unit had a capacity of already 141 horses, thanks to which acceleration to 100 km / h took 10 seconds instead of 12. The maximum speed that could be developed on this engine was 200 km / h, which is not much, but that's all same more than the previous version. There are no differences in the type of structure - an in-line engine with four cylinders and a transverse arrangement.
If we talk about motors in general, then they are pretty good, they do not break down very often, but it does happen. Weak spots include valve cover leakage, which is very difficult to get rid of, problems with the thermostat, failure of the oxygen sensor, floating speed (all Cruze disease). Also on 1.8 liter engines, the camshaft gear often breaks and the heat exchanger gasket flows.
Gearbox
Now let's move on to the gearboxes. In total, two types of gearboxes were installed on cars - automatic and mechanical. Number of gears: 5 on manual transmission and 6 on the machine.
Both boxes are not without problems, but if you still give preference in one direction, it is better to choose the mechanics - more reliable and lasts longer. Automatic transmission turned out, to put it mildly, unsuccessful. Drivers note that overheating very often happens, the box kicks a lot, dulls and does not always behave adequately. In some cases, an oil change helps to fix the problems, but it is best to carry out a full repair - it will be more reliable.
As for the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon on mechanics, then everything is much better. The most common problem is the gear shift cable. It just flies. This is a disease of absolutely all Cruises in the manual transmission. Experienced auto mechanics can give some useful tips on how to deal with this problem.
Chassis
The chassis of the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon is not particularly remarkable. Front-wheel drive, front independent suspension with struts such as McPherson. Rear semi-independent suspension with a torsion beam.
In general, the hodovka in the car is not bad, but about 70 thousand mileage calipers begin to knock. Also, racks often fail. Otherwise, nothing critical.
Model Options
A few words should be said about the configuration of the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon. There are 3 of them: LS (cheap), LT (average) and LTZ (expensive). In fact, they are not much different from each other. For example, in the LTZ configuration, the car has a function of stabilization on the road, electric folding mirrors, light and rain sensors, keyless entry, cruise control, a rear view camera, parking sensors and other small things.
The budget version, although it is the most affordable, but, unfortunately, is devoid of options such as: alarm, stabilization, fog lights, parking sensors. Steering wheel adjustment in only one position, an incomplete set of electric lifts and more.
Options LT, in fact, is a kind of middle ground. It already has most of the options that are not in LS, and what is available in the most expensive version can be installed as additional packages for a fee.
Owner reviews and cost.
Reviews about the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon show that the whole car is very good, but there are some drawbacks. In addition to the disadvantages that were listed in the technical specifications section, you can add increased fuel consumption in the winter, poor paintwork, mediocre noise insulation, poor glass blowing, an average-quality audio system and some small things.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to buy a new Chevrolet Cruze station wagon, since the production ceased in 2015. Nevertheless, in the secondary market there is simply a huge number of cars in fairly good condition at a price of 450-650 thousand rubles.