SA Road Tests

Welcome

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.

*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the stories.

General Motors SA officially launched its latest offering in KZN recently. We were there.

This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.

Pics supplied

The worst-kept secret of 2009

Published in Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday October 24, 2009

“Best-leaked secret of the year,” quipped Des Fenner, Product Communications Manager of GMSA, at the launch of the new Chevrolet Cruze range at Ballito recently.

Well leaked the story has been, indeed, with sightings, strategically placed press releases and even a full road test by a national motoring monthly prior to its official release. This was of the 1,8 litre automatic version in a colour not yet available!

Let’s get a few snippets out of the way first:

• Opel has been sold to Magna the Canadian auto parts giant but GM is retaining 35 percent
• Opels will still be sold in South Africa, through the existing GMSA network and spares and warranty backup will continue
• The range of Opel products available in SA will be reduced, as GMSA pays greater attention to its core Chevrolet business.

The Cruze is a joint German, Korean, US and Australian venture, built with a bias toward European tastes and standards. It is also GM’s first foray into the “C” segment of the SA market.  It is a solid, well-built car, available initially with 1,6 and 1,8 litre previous-generation Opel Astra engines. A 2,0 litre turbodiesel will become available in the second quarter of 2010.

“The Cruze has been engineered to the highest safety and construction standards as befits a world car,” stated Fenner, “and is certainly not some rebadged Korean effort,” he concluded.

Key features include:

 Compact sedan introducing new global Chevrolet design language

 Ground hugging ‘four-door coupé’ styling

 Focus on panel fit and overall quality

 Engineered to meet most stringent safety ratings

 Flowing interior design with ‘dual cockpit’ feel

 Class leading rear passenger space

 Excellent stability, handling and ride characteristics

The Cruze features two all-aluminium petrol engines with capacities of 1.6 and 1.8 litres. Both are twin-cam 16-valve units with variable valve timing for both inlet and exhaust systems on the 1.8 litre models.  A 2.0 litre 16-valve turbo diesel engine will be offered from the second quarter of 2010.

The 1.6 litre engine produces 83 kW @ 6400 r/min with maximum torque of 153 Nm @ 3800 r/min. Corresponding figures for the 1.8 litre engine are 104 kW @ 6200 r/min and 176 Nm @ 3800 r/min. This engine delivers 85% of its torque from 2000 r/min through to 6300 r/min.

The 1.6 litre Cruze will accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 12,5 seconds, while the 1.8 litre version achieves this in 10.0 seconds. Combined cycle fuel consumption, as measured by GM test engineers, is 6,7 l/100km and 6,8 l/100km respectively (all figures for manual transmission models). The 1.6 litre engine is available in L and LS specification, while the 1.8 litre engine is available in LS and LT trim.

Drive is via a 5-speed manual transmission for the L and LS models while the 1.8 LT is fitted with a 6-speed automatic transmission – a segment first for Chevrolet.

On the LS and LT models, brakes are vented discs at the front and solid discs at the rear. A 4-channel ABS anti-lock brake system with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) is standard.  The L model has vented front discs with drums at the rear and 4-channel ABS. Power assisted rack and pinion steering with a quick ratio (less than three turns lock-to lock) is fitted across the range.

 Launch prices range from R174 192 for the 1,6L model, to R244 440 for the 1,8LT automatic. Warranty period is 5 years/120 000 km and a 3 year/60 000 km service plan is included.

 A scenic drive through the midlands to Wartburg and then back to the coast confirmed that the Cruze is a solid, well built car that is also well appointed. In manual form especially, it certainly appears worthy of consideration.

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax. 

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

Comments?

Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously. Contact me here

Back to Home page