Latest Business Car Manager News: Chevrolet Cruze 1.7 diesel estate - competent, good value company car

(PRWEB UK) 13 November 2012

Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon 1.7 VCDi LTZ 130PS

DESPITE the connotations with big American gas-guzzlers, Chevrolets in UK and Europe are anything but.

In fact, for a football fan, they're more likely to have come across Chevrolet as shirt sponsor of Manchester United.

Among the cars that Chevrolet offers company car drivers is the Ford Focus-sized Chevrolet Cruze SW. This is the estate variant of the Cruze family (there’s a hatchback and a saloon in the range).

The Chevrolet Cruze SW is based on exactly the same platform as the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. It’s got a fairly large 500-litre boot and comes with a choice of four petrol and diesel engines. Users won’t find it as sharp to drive as a Ford Focus Estate but the Cruze SW feels refined, grown-up and great value.

The Cruze Station Wagon is available in three trim levels with prices starting from £15,375.

What’s hot?

• The Cruze SW certainly looks the part. Compared to the slightly awkward looking hatch or saloon variants, the SW design works, including Chevrolet’s famous double-level grille and bow tie badge.
• The interior feels upmarket and well built, with gloss black inserts and brushed metal accents. It’s far from what one would normally expect from Chevrolet.
• The SW is all about practicality and while the 500-litre boot is trumped by the Golf Estate, it’s certainly big enough. Clever touches like a sculpted parcel shelf featuring three separate sections maxmimise usable space, too.
• A 1.7-litre VCDi diesel engine is the pick of the range and comes with 129bhp. That’s good for a 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds.
• Refinement from all of the engines is good and the ride is comfortable. That helps make long distance motorway journeys far more bearable.

For those who do go for the 1.7-litre VCDi engine they’ll get company car-friendly CO2 emissions of 119g/km and 62.7mpg.
The Cruze SW is good value, with a generous list of standard equipment but a price that undercuts many of its rivals.

What’s not?

•The Cruze SW’s handling isn’t great. The steering feels a bit vague and light, and there’s a fair bit of body roll in the corners.
•Both the 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines feel too sluggish for every day use. Their running costs are far higher than the diesels, too.

• Although the 2.0-litre diesel engine feels punchy and smooth, it’s only available with an automatic gearbox. That hampers fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions and pushes up the price-tag – and company car tax to pay.

Business Car Manager road test verdict

There’s really only one engine variant to recommend in any business car comparison and that’s the 1.7-litre VCDi diesel. The petrol engines feel a little slow and cost a fair bit to fuel while the 2.0-litre diesel is expensive because it’s only available with an automatic gearbox.

If drivers pick this engine, though, they’ll be impressed by the Chevrolet Cruze SW. It looks good and the interior feels more upmarket than one would expect, and while it may not handle very well it does feel very grown-up to drive.

Its low CO2 emissions mean standard rate company car tax buyers will just pay £671 a year for a mid-spec LTZ model, too.

Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon 1.7 VCDi LTZ 130PS – the low down

P11D Value £ 19,730
Monthly business rental (ex VAT) From £296 a month (3yrs/30,000 miles)
Company car tax bands 2012/13 to 2014/15    17%, 18%, 19%
BIK tax £3,354, £3,551, £3,749
Engine 1.7-litre 4-cyl diesel
CO2    119g/km
Power/torque 129bhp/ 300Nm
0-62mph 10.4 seconds/124mph
Economy    62.7mpg

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