SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
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*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.
Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday April 10, 2013
October 2012 refreshes for the Series ll, or JH, range of Chevrolet Cruzes consisted of styling and equipment changes, including power increases for the 1600 cc petrol engine and the Family Z 2.0-litre diesel. A pair of LS-spec’ Australian-designed hatchbacks with five-speed manual gearboxes were slipped into the mix as well.
Width, height, wheelbase and track measurements are the same as those of the sedan. All that changes is that the hatchback is 89 mm shorter, weighs about 15 kg less and its luggage capacity shrinks by 37 litres. You do have the option of stacking loads higher if the cargo cover is removed though. The loading lip is a bit shallower and the boot looks slightly deeper, meaning that medium-sized cases can stand on their sides rather than having to be laid flat. Four lashing rings and as many bag hooks help keep awkward items under control, seatbacks fold one-third/ two-thirds and almost flat to open up more space and the spare is a fully sized steel wheel.
Those wary of hatchbacks for safety reasons, specifically rear end impacts, can rest assured. Apart from its progressively deformable front end and the extremely rigid passenger cell, using high-strength steels and intelligent design, the back end has secrets too. The rear body structure is designed to provide maximum protection for occupants, as well as the fuel tank and its connections. Like the front crumple zone, it can absorb and dissipate high levels of impact energy.
A sturdy suspension cross-member provides added protection from rear-end collisions and transfers crash loads through to the sill areas after the longitudinal rails have deformed. Most crash test standards are based on rear impacts of 50 km/h. GM’s requirements include such collisions at up to 80 km/h; at an angle, not just straight on. The moulded fuel tank, located low down between the rear longitudinal rails, is capable of recovering from impact compression without bursting.
Other safety kit includes six airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and braking assistance, ESP, traction control and ISOFix. Stuff you expect comprises a single-channel air conditioner, powered outside mirrors, single-touch electric windows all around and a six-speaker, single-CD player with RDS radio, accessory plugs and Bluetooth. There are also satellite buttons on the steering wheel that adjusts both vertically and horizontally, front fog lamps, remote central locking with autolock, cruise control and a trip computer.
Not very common at this price, the passenger seat adjusts up and down too. It’s all done manually and they are covered in fabric, but if you want leather, it can be added as an option. The same applies to rear parking assistance, full climate control or a sunroof. If you really need automatic wipers and headlamps and push button starting, the 2.0 diesel LT is your only way there.
Compared with the 1600, the added power and torque of this 1800 cc motor results in a noticeably quicker sprint time to 100 km/h and a top speed that’s 7 km/h higher. It also cruises more comfortably and holds its speed up inclines with less effort. This obviously comes with a slight increase in fuel consumption; about 400 ml per 100 km by our informal reckoning.
This brings us to our regular shaking of head in bewilderment about consumers. They listen nicely as you describe the superpowers of a car with a huge, turbocharged engine mated to a magical automatic transmission, smile happily, then are disappointed that its fuel usage is higher than that of a 1000 cc baby car with manual gears. Power costs, people. Get used to it.
Test car from GMSA press fleet
The numbers
Price: R229 600
Engine: 1796 cc, DOHC with DCVCP, 16-valve, four-cylinder
Power: 104 kW at 6200 rom
Torque: 176 Nm at 3800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,0 seconds
Maximum speed: 200 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8,9 l/100 km
Tank: 60 litres
Luggage: 413 litres
Warranty: 5 years/120 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 3 years/60 000 km; at annual or 15 000 km intervals
Optional leather upholstery shown
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
My reviews and launch reports appear on Thursdays in the Wheels supplement to The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles each month, most months of the year (except over the festive season) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8