From the moment of its first appearance on our market to this day, the Chevrolet Cruze model has attracted the attention of the automotive community. The reason for this popularity is that this car combines a solid design and a reasonable price. But that is not all. The technical characteristics of the car, the most important of which is ground clearance, allow it to successfully conquer our specific roads. Thus, the designers were able to create an inexpensive, quite stylish and technologically advanced car in which you can comfortably drive around the city and beyond. Today we will take a closer look at the design, technical characteristics, ground clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze and its other features.
Exterior
Of course, the exterior design of the car is one of its strengths. Thanks to the curving relief roof and “inflated” wings, the car looks very sporty and dynamic. Many of the model’s “classmates” are far behind it in design. The front end matches the expensive profile of the body. The radiator grille is divided into two unequal parts by a horizontal strip, and slightly curved headlights rush upward. The exterior of the car is very similar to a four-door coupe - one of the most fashionable body types today.
Methods for increasing ground clearance
Since the road surface in the CIS countries generally leaves much to be desired, with potholes and potholes, many Cruze owners try to increase the ground clearance in order to avoid damage to protective body elements, such as bumpers and door sills. There are several ways to do this. The most common are the installation of spacers or springs with shock absorbers. Let's consider both options.
Installing spacers for springs.
Spacers
Spacers are rubber-metal plates that are inserted between the body and the shock absorber to increase the vehicle's ride height. These modification parts can be purchased at automobile markets or car dealerships. Since the cost is much lower than shock absorbers and springs, most motorists prefer spacers.
Let's consider the sequence of work for installing spacers:
- We dismantle the shock absorber strut along with all components.
- We remove the metal cover that secures the spring.
- We install the spacer so that it is between two metal plates.
- We install the mounting bolts, which will then secure the stand to the glass.
- We install the rack on a standard seat.
Thus, you can increase the ground clearance on the Chevrolet Cruze by 15-20 mm.
Spacer to increase ground clearance.
Shock absorbers and springs
Another way to increase ground clearance on a Cruze is by installing higher shock absorbers and springs. To do this, you will need to find a set of non-standard chassis to increase ground clearance. Typically, motorists go to tuning stores or the car market to purchase this type of spare parts.
Installation is done by yourself. Old parts are removed from the car, and new parts are easily installed on the old seat. So, there is no need to redo or customize anything. The only caveat may be large mounting bolts that need to be trimmed after installation on the car.
Dimensions and trunk
The Chevrolet Cruze sedan has the following dimensions: length 4597, width 1788, height 1477 mm. The hatchback car is 87 mm shorter than the sedan. The station wagon is 78 mm longer than the sedan. And if roof rails are installed on its roof, then it is 44 mm higher. The wheelbase of the model is 2685 millimeters. The trunk volume of the sedan is 450 liters, the hatchback – 413, and the station wagon – 500 liters. There is a full-size spare wheel in the trunk underground. By folding the rear seats you can increase the volume of the luggage compartment.
Car cigarette lighter device
Chevrolet Cruze sedan: characteristics
Despite its apparent simplicity, the car cigarette lighter device is a rather complex technical design:
The central contact 1 is supplied with a supply voltage of + 12 Volts through a fuse rated 10 - 30 Amps (depending on the type of cigarette lighter and the make of the car). The working element 9 is usually made of a spiral heating nichrome plate. Its central contact is connected to pin 1 (supply voltage) after pressing button 6 of the removable element of the cigarette lighter 5.
Bimetallic plates 10 record the moment of pressing the removable element to the cigarette lighter contact. As the electrical element 9 heats up, the temperature of the bimetallic plates increases, they change their geometric dimensions, the fastening of the clamps is weakened, and the spring 3 pushes the removable part out of the socket, thereby signaling the moment of complete heating.
Most modern cigarette lighters have a light bulb or LED elements to illuminate the socket at night.
Clearance
The Chevrolet Cruze has earned fame in our latitudes not only thanks to its interesting design, but also thanks to its ground clearance, which is quite enough for you to drive into the private sector without worrying about the bottom of the car. The ground clearance of the model depends on the body type and some nuances.
The ground clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze sedan is officially 16 cm. In reality, this is not entirely true. Firstly, if we take into account the lower bumper trim, it will be 2 cm smaller. Secondly, in the rear of the car the ground clearance is greater due to the fact that the stern is raised. Here it reaches almost 22 centimeters.
The clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback, according to the passport data, is 155 millimeters. If you take into account the overlay, it turns out to be 135 mm. Of course, you can’t go off-road with such data, but for confident driving in our cities, it’s quite enough.
What has the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon prepared for us? The ground clearance of this modification is the same as that of the sedan. Only the feed is a little lower, due to the increased load on it.
What is the ground clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze?
Appearance of interturn spacers for springs Installing spacers In order to increase ground clearance on a Chevrolet Cruze, car owners often use spacers.
If you put five people in the cabin, put in a spare tire and load the luggage compartment, the situation will change radically. Affects ground clearance and fuel volume in the tank. Officially this parameter is mm, but in reality it will be lower.
In addition, after installing the engine protection, the ground clearance is reduced to 14 cm at the front and between the road surface and the rear - mm. Therefore, when driving through uneven areas, you should be prepared for the bottom of the car to come into contact with various elements of the road surface.
The ground clearance of a sedan by year and modification of the Chevrolet Cruze ground clearance, like the Chevrolet Cruze, the increase in ground clearance is higher, is equal to mm officially and mm in reality.
As for the rear of the car, it is slightly raised and the distance to the surface is mm. Therefore, there is no need to worry about accidentally hitting a standard curb. If we look at the modifications, the picture here looks like a Chevrolet Cruze increasing ground clearance.
Sedan, four-door, with front-wheel drive, produced from year to year, has a ground clearance of 14.5 cm. This parameter is relevant for the following modifications: Ground clearance for a station wagon by year and modification In the five-door Chevrolet Cruze, the increase in ground clearance with front-wheel drive is mm . MT LS engine - 1.6 l, l.
Chevrolet Cruze ground clearance: height, increase
AT LT 1.8 l, l. Ground clearance for a hatchback by year and modification The ground clearance for a hatchback is 14.5 cm. This parameter is typical for Chevrolet Cruze cars with 5 doors and front-wheel drive, produced between the years. This indicator is typical for the following modifications: AT LT 1.8 liters, l. Modification of Chevrolet cruze increased ground clearance Cruise of the year: The new product has a very original appearance and many advantages in comparison with representatives of the first generation.
Manufacturers used a new platform that had previously been tested on Astra and Buick Verano. The use of a new base made it possible to increase body rigidity by 27 percent and lighten the car by kg. Length, width and height are 4.m, 1.m and 1.m respectively.
Therefore, for many, immediately after purchasing a car, the question arises of how to increase ground clearance with little expense, without buying an SUV, in order to maintain the safety and integrity of the body, suspension elements and bumpers. chevrolet cruze increased ground clearance
There are several relatively safe ways to increase ground clearance. More about them below. Ways to increase If you still cannot tolerate such a ground clearance, there is no way to increase the ground clearance, you can consider several ways to increase the ground clearance.
Each of them, of course, will have its own disadvantages, since in any case we will interfere with the architecture and geometry of the suspension, the calculated parameters of aerodynamics and stability. Nevertheless, here it is. Changing the wheels This is the safest and most sane method of increasing ground clearance. The bottom line is that when we have 16-inch wheels installed, we change them to inch ones, then with the same tire height, the ground clearance increases by about 10 mm.
Accordingly, if we replace e disks with e ones, we get an increase in clearance of approximately 20 mm. At the same time, do not forget that the tire height should be equal to the ground clearance so that the tires do not reach the wheel arches when loading. Replacing wheel rims is one of the safe and simple methods of increasing ground clearance. The downside of replacing tires with higher and non-standard ones may be problems with the accuracy of the speedometer and odometer readings, and this can also lead to incorrect operation of ABS and ESP.
Chevrolet cruze increase in ground clearance is that you can gain 20 mm of clearance without changing the suspension geometry and without changing the forces on the chassis elements. Changing springs and struts The method is expensive and labor-intensive, although today you can choose sets of struts and springs of almost any height and with any characteristics.
What is the ground clearance on a Chevrolet Cruze and ways to increase ground clearance
Another thing is how constant velocity joints will react to this, because they are designed for a certain average operating angle of torque transmission, and changing it can lead to accelerated wear of the CV joints. And the very fact of raising the center of gravity will lead to a change in the stability and roll of the body in corners. In any Chevrolet Cruze, increasing the ground clearance is not worth getting carried away with and mm is quite enough to raise our Cruze to a safe distance above the road.
Increased clearance
The Chevrolet Cruze can additionally lose precious millimeters if engine protection is installed. It’s better not to drive on domestic roads without it. This is still minus a couple of centimeters from the ground clearance. And if you load the trunk and put 5 passengers in the car, the ground clearance will become even less. Therefore, many resort to increasing it. This is done in three ways:
- The most common method is spacers. They are liners made of various materials (plastic, rubber, aluminum, etc.), which are placed between the coils of shock absorbers. This modification allows you to raise the car a few centimeters, but affects the comfort of passengers - the suspension becomes stiff. In addition, many experts do not recommend such interventions in the design of the car.
- Installation of larger diameter discs. This method is more suitable for a car. It allows you to increase ground clearance, but affects comfort - passengers will feel road irregularities more strongly.
- Well, the last, least common way is to increase the gap between the body and the strut supports.
Owner reviews
- Boris, Saratov. At first I drove Ford Focus and Kia Sid station wagons of previous generations, then switched to a Chevrolet Cruze station wagon. I liked the car for its original design with a sporty silhouette. The car looks stylish from all angles - as if it were an executive car, but only smaller. The car has an energy-intensive suspension and good cross-country ability, despite the ground clearance of 140 mm. And yet, this car is better to drive on city and country roads. I have a version with a 1.8-liter engine. A car with such an engine accelerates and brakes excellently. The body looks impressive, but it is too high, and because of this it is not as aerodynamic as, say, the Mazda 3. The car accelerates smoothly, without jerking - I have the automatic version.
- Yaroslav, Leningrad region. I drive a 2014 Cruze, a car with a 140 horsepower engine. The transmission is a six-speed automatic. Before Cruz I had a Granta. Of course, it cannot be compared with Cruise, because he belongs to a larger class. The Lada Granta steers surprisingly more responsively, while the Cruze, on the contrary, is calmer, but its control is still much better tuned. The sharp steering, as expected, fills with feedback as speed increases. The car feels good, and this is the most important thing, especially in an emergency. The Cruise has a roomy trunk and a spacious five-seater interior, but there are complaints about the quality of materials - the front panel looks stylish and original, but it is made of cheap plastic. The equipment is normal. The car does not scour the track like the Granta. Exchange rate stability is at a high level. Ground clearance 140 mm. Yes, the Grant will be better in terms of cross-country ability. But for city roads, Cruz is also quite enough.
- Sergey, Sorochinsk. I purchased a Cruz hatchback in 2012. The car comes as standard, with a 1.6-liter engine producing 109 horsepower. with a manual transmission. During the first year of operation, I drove about 20 thousand km, and became convinced of the merits of the car. The car is spacious and richly equipped, despite the basic version. The car does not claim to be first in the class in terms of acceleration dynamics, but the 1.6-liter engine is plenty enough for taxi work. Passengers are happy, since the rear is very spacious - this is due to the long wheelbase. Fuel consumption is about 8 liters in the city. A car with a ground clearance of 140 mm holds well on the road, does not yaw or sway under the influence of the wind. The car's behavior is absolutely predictable. Personally, I support that the engineers did not increase the ground clearance, as this would greatly worsen stability.
- Andrey, Saransk. In 2013, I finally parted with my old VAZ-2106, but not quite - the car is gathering dust in the garage. I collected it on a Chevrolet Cruze with a 1.8-liter engine. Cool car. I have the sedan version. Stylish appearance, a powerful 140-horsepower engine and a clear manual transmission - perhaps nothing else is needed for the city. I mostly drive alone or alone with my girlfriend, and the back seat is empty for now, but it’s quite spacious for tall passengers. The version with a 1.8-liter engine sets you up for dynamic driving - the stiff suspension and tenacious brakes have an effect. Acceleration to the first hundred is not as impressive as I expected, but also very acceptable. I liked the Opel seats with lateral support - I tested them on the long-distance route Saransk - Nizhny Novgorod region (a distance of about 500 kilometers one way). To be honest, I was very tired - but not because of the seats, but because of the stiff suspension. But thanks to the ground clearance of 140 mm, the car does not roll in turns and behaves steadily.
- Bogdan, Moscow. The best car for your money. The version with a 1.8-liter engine showed itself on the positive side. Over the six years of operation, the Chevrolet Cruze has traveled 80 thousand kilometers, almost never breaking down in a major way. And yet, the car has disadvantages, and what a few! The delicate suspension, which is very stiff, does not have time to handle all the bumps in the road, is very frustrating. Once, at 160 km/h, I felt an incomprehensible stench from the engine compartment - it turned out that water was getting into the manifold, and an unpleasant odor appeared. The service fixed the problem, but an unpleasant residue remained. The rigid suspension and ground clearance of 140 mm make the car stable in corners, but at the expense of practicality and comfort. We'll see later. By the way, due to the rigid suspension, the cabin is very noisy and there are vibrations.
- Peter, Kyiv. The car is 2012, with the most popular 1.8 liter engine. Power 140 l. With. enough for everyday and dynamic driving. I have the hatchback version. There is enough space in the trunk to accommodate any luggage that will be needed on a long journey. The ground clearance is 140 mm - for me this is a disadvantage, since I like to go with friends on a picnic, in nature, etc. - where there are no good roads. The car is stiff and shakes a lot on a country road. On the highway it’s a completely different matter - I drove the route Kyiv - Yekaterinburg, and was not tired at all, although the distance is 5500 kilometers. On a good road the car is comfortable and cozy, nothing creaks. The powerful 1.8-liter engine is revealed in all its glory here, not like on a country road.
- Anton, Orenburg. I have owned the Chevrolet Cruze for seven long years. The car was purchased new, with a 1.8 engine in the middle configuration. Before purchasing, I read a lot of reviews and came to the conclusion that I should buy it. The sedan impressed me with its design and behavior on the road, but greatly disappointed me in terms of cross-country ability. Everything is fine with behavior on the highway; in such conditions, Cruz even behaves a little sportily, turns and brakes quickly, maintains a straight trajectory perfectly, and hardly rolls or sways. But if you turn onto a country road, the character of the car immediately changes. The steering wheel seems to lose feedback, you need to “search” for the wheels, as the car becomes uncontrollable and very rigid. You can feel every hole and bump. Very, very, very delicate pendant. Now the car is for sale, I hope that it will be bought. I saved some money and am going to take something “softer”.
Competitors
Many will say that the ground clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze model is not that great. It all depends on what car you compare it to. Compared to crossovers, of course, the Cruz is far behind in ground clearance, but if you compare it with its C-class competitors, the situation here is completely different. For example, the Citroen C4 has a ground clearance of only 120 mm, the Hyundai Elantra - 150 mm, the Skoda Octavia A5 - 160 mm, and the Ford Focus 2 - 150 mm. And these are manufacturer data, which are indicated without taking into account engine protection.
Standard Chevrolet Cruze ground clearance - high or low?
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Real ground clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze.
Few. For our roads, frankly not enough. Let us recall that ground clearance is theoretically called the distance from the reference plane to the lowest point of the body. Korean engineers considered that 140 mm ground clearance would be sufficient for any body and any Chevrolet Cruze engine. To be more convincing, we present a factory table with the clearance value for Cruise.
Factory clearance values for Chevrolet Cruze.
It is with this height of the body above the ground that our car receives optimal aerodynamic characteristics, the lowest possible fuel consumption, tolerable stability and handling, and stability on the highway when driving at high speeds. The engineers know their stuff.
Body points
If we set a goal and measure the clearance in detail at each point of the body, we get the following picture for an unloaded stock car:
- the clearance under the bottom of the car at the lowest point, taking into account the engine protection and muffler, is 160 mm;
- distance from the ground to the lower edge of the front bumper 140 mm;
- from the ground to the lower edge of the rear bumper 200 mm.
In principle, it’s not so critical, but many are still obsessed with the idea of raising the Chevrolet Cruze even higher.
Interior
We've discussed the outside, now let's look inside. The salon also did not disappoint. It is interesting not only to look at it, but also to touch it. Attention to detail is evident in everything here. Interesting architecture and successful fabric-look inserts on the front panel immediately catch the eye. But there are also plenty of shortcomings, which is not surprising, given the price category in which this car is located. The entire interior is replete with backlashes. The buttons are unclear to press, and the glove compartment closes unevenly. In terms of interior design, the Cruze is certainly one of the more interesting Koreans. But if we talk about the build quality, its weaknesses will immediately become apparent.
But the interior is quite spacious. Three adults can easily fit in the back row. The driver's seat has quite tolerable lateral support and a wide range of adjustments. The steering wheel can also be conveniently adjusted to suit you.
Ground clearance of a sedan (by year and modification)
The clearance of the Chevrolet Cruze, as noted above, is 160 mm (officially) and 140 mm in reality. As for the rear of the car, it is slightly raised, and the distance to the surface is 220 mm. Therefore, there is no need to worry about accidentally hitting a standard curb.
If we look at the modifications, the picture here looks like this.
Sedan, four-door, front-wheel drive, produced from 2005 to 2012, has a ground clearance of 14.5 cm.
This parameter is relevant for the following modifications:
- AT LS (1.6 l, 109 horsepower), MT LS (1.6 l, 109 horsepower), as well as AT LT (1.6 l, 109 horsepower) and AT MT (1 .6 l, 109 hp).
- AT LT (1.8 l, 141 horsepower), MT LS (1.8 l, 141 hp), as well as modifications MT LT (1.8 l, 141 hp), AT LTZ (1.4 l, 140 “horses”).
Equipment
In the basic configuration, the equipment of the car is very ascetic: air conditioning for an extra charge, electric drive and heated mirrors, front windows, a simple audio system, and air blowers for rear row passengers.
In expensive modifications, everything is serious: heated front seats, climate control, a multimedia system (navigator, voice control, Internet access point, rear view camera) with a 7-inch touch screen, cruise control, leather interior, and many pleasant little things.
