Mailbag: This VW Fan Thinks The Cruze Diesel Will Make VW Step Up Its Game
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This article is part of the GM Authority Mailbag series, where the GM Authority Crew features and replies to your questions, comments, and observations.
The following comes to us from Ricardo P.
I’ve been a fan of Volkswagen my whole life and have owned three Jetta TDIs… so you can imagine my surprise when I found out about the Cruze Diesel. I was skeptical. An American company challenging the undisputed king of passenger cars with diesel engines? Yeah, right. I remembered my ex’s horrid Cavalier all too well.
Since I’ve never even seen a Cruze before, I did as any car guy would do: jumped into my 2012 Jetta TDI and headed straight to my local Chevy store (a place I have never looked up on the map, let alone been to, in my entire life). Since the Cruze Diesel won’t be here for a few more months and it was a slow day at the dealer, I took the 1.4T for a 30-minute drive and really hit some corners. As I returned to the dealership, I had a smile on my face. I liked the Cruze.
I was surprised, because the Cruze isn’t some piece of garbage compact car that American brands have been known to put out. This thing has all the qualities of my Jetta and is even better in some areas. And all that got me thinking: now that VW has some competition from a real global company like Chevy, it will probably need to step up its game.
I can point out at least five things that I like better on the Cruze than on my Jetta TDI… the car I’ve been praising to my friends, neighbors and anyone else who would listen. For example…
- The Cruze Diesel has an excellent rear suspension that any driving enthusiast will appreciate right away. The only thing I can compare it to is a GTI/GLI… meanwhile, the Jetta TDI’s inferior solid rear axle (in North American models) cuts costs at every corner.
- The Cruze also has automatic on/off headlights. The Jetta doesn’t even offer it on any U.S. models. Not sure why I am forced to keep flipping on/off switches in 2013.
- The Cruze has an awesome steering wheel… the Jetta does too, but it’s plagued by more VW cost-cutting. The right side of the wheel on the Jetta is “blanked” and doesn’t have any buttons whatsoever. This makes my car look cheap, as if I didn’t opt for some feature (even though I have the top model). Meanwhile, the Cruze has buttons galore on the wheel (on both sides of it). It’s a more balanced solution.
- And then there’s the power. The Cruze Diesel gets the same fuel economy as my Jetta, runs cleaner thanks to the fluid system (still learning about that one) and even makes more power. Granted, it doesn’t have the TDI’s DSG…
- And don’t even get me started on the cheapened cabin in the new Jetta. Talk about corner-cutting! It sucks!
The only downside of the Cruze that I’ve been able to find is the center armrest — which is pretty much pointless. The one in my 2012 Jetta is slightly better, but VW stepped up its game for 2013 with a unit that can slide forward and then adjust/tilt upward and downward, making long highway trips very comfortable.
All in all, this VW fan whose parents swear by Chevy is happy to see the Cruze Diesel. For one, it gives me an alternative outside the VW family… and it will probably result in VW seriously stepping up its game. At least I hope that’s what will happen. Competition is good… and I am thankful for the Cruze.
PS: and now I’ve got a favorite site to follow in GM Authority.
Ricardo — thank you for the letter, and for your support of GMA.
Your analysis is spot on, and I couldn’t agree more. The only weaknesses of the Cruze TD are the items that are inherent in every single Cruze trim level on the market: the finicky center armrest and the inefficient (non direct-driving) six-speed auto; one could include the fact that the TD’s 2.0 Ecotec is belt-driven as a weakness, as well.
What we hope for is that the increased competition in the compact turbo-diesel segment will spur more competition between all involved, while attracting new contestants — resulting in a better product from GM (and others) for consumers.
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Ha he brought up everyones favorite punching bag, the Cavelier… Wow did your 82 Cutlass blow as well… I get tired of people resurecting the dead when clearly GM has moved on and is developing class leading vehicles… That being said I get that some are still not up to speed and are stuck on the fact there 88 cavelier might have been a piece of junk… But seriously allready… Anyway welcome Recardo..,
Yabba, please lets get the facts right. The Delta II platform was never badged as a Cavalier:
2008 – present Chevrolet Cruze, Daewoo Lacetti Premiere, Holden Cruze[5]
2009 – present Opel Astra, Buick Excelle XT
2010 – present Chevrolet Volt
2010 – present Chevrolet Orlando
2011 – present Buick Verano
2011 – present Opel Ampera
2011 – present Opel Zafira Tourer
2013 – present Cadillac ELR[6][7]
2013 – present Opel Cascada[8]
Who cares VW FANS .
Rocky, never claimed it was, what ru talking about…
At least he is aware that VW’s whole plan for the current Jetta was to cut costs. The car is worse than the last one, but cheaper, so they are hoping price drives sales, not the actually car; their Blitzkrieg strategy to become world sales leader.
wait is it true that the Cruze diesel borrow the engine from Fiat?
from GM welcome to the site we value feedback of all types good or bad, and thanks for the detail, D2 will address some of the shortcomings of the current model with a high degree of refinement. it will be out in the near future.
“Near future?” I’ve heard everything between 1 and 3 years for the next gen Cruze. The critical question to me is the transmission. Unless I’ve missed it, we’ve seen nothing on GMA to hint that GM is developing something. I would have expected that by now. That said, the new 1.6 DI turbo is what GM needs for everything from the Sonic SS to the Verano/Encore. It will be interesting to see where GM puts the priority. As for the diesel, it again goes back to how it will be mated. If the highway mileage is only 42 (perhaps GM is being conservative here) then I would expect thrilling acceleration.
the strategy of gm on diesel engines is not clear why use so much diesel engines for the same model?
In Europe we had in 2010 the 2.0 150HP, 1991cc (VM MOTORI RA 420 SOCH, euro 4) build under licence in KOREA, this engine was use just for 5 years (from 2006 to 2010)!!! in European chevy cars (CRUZE,CAPTIVA,LACETTI,EPICA), in begining of 2011 GM put a new diesel engine on the cruze a 2.0 163HP, 1998cc (EURO 5 engine), in begining 2012 they add a 1.7 131HP, 1686cc this engine is an old ISUZU circle L engine Made in Poland.
IN USA you get a different diesel engine! a 2.0, 1956cc and seem to be the same engine u can find in Europe on the CHEVY MALIBU diesel and Opel Insignia. Really dont understaend the GM strategy about diesel engine
@polonez I believe that what you’re describing is due to the fact that GM never really had a *competitive* diesel engine that it designed/engineered in-house… Until now:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/01/opel-announces-all-new-1-6-liter-turbo-diesel-engine/
So I would expect this new 1.6 and the 2.0 that’s in the Cruze TD (and respective Opels) to be GM’s global passenger car engines going forward, joining the 2.5 & 2.8 “mini” Duramax 4s, and the full-blown Duramax V8.
I’m not sure what is meant by “competitive”, but the GM engineers designed a 4.3 L V-6 engine from the ground up for the 1982 Olds Ciera. I drove one for 179,000 miles. It had one glaring design fault: a plastic thrust washer in the high presssure fuel pump failed like clockwork at 50,000 mile intervals. I liked getting 30 mpg in my daily commute.
Interesting article.