Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015) Review
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Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015) At A Glance
Spacious and usable 1478 litre boot. Well-equipped. Easy to drive. 1.7 VCDi is smooth and quiet. Good value.
Steering is vague. Petrol engines are inferior to 1.7 VCDi diesel. Kia Cee'd and Hyundai i30 offer larger load areas and better quality.
Following the introduction of the Cruze hatchback in 2011 the only missing model in the range was an estate, which is now available. Like most manufacturers, Chevrolet has distanced itself from the traditional estate name, adapting the Cruze SW badge for its more practical model.
It's certainly spacious – with the seats folded flat there’s a generous 1478 litres of boot space, accessed through a nice wide tailgate with no load lip. But while this is enough for hefty items like furniture, both the Kia Cee’d SW and Hyundai i30 Tourer offer larger load areas.
There’s an adjustable and removable rear load cover and a clever shelf behind the rear seats for storing odd bits and pieces, along with a few storage bins at the sides of the boot. Plus there’s a selection of cubby holes under the floor itself - handy for hiding away valuables or carrying smaller items.
The rest of the car is familiar Chevrolet Cruze. It’s solidly screwed together but lacks the soft touch materials seen in more expensive rivals. The centre console is a little bit confusing, with a lot of buttons that are hard to understand. This is made worse when sat nav is fitted – it’s quite hard to get used to. The engines are familiar too – there are 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrols but both feel underpowered. The 1.7-litre VCDi diesel is better with plenty of torque.
Reviews for Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015)'s top 3 rivals
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Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015) handling and engines
- Engines range from 1.4 to 2.0 VCDi Automatic
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 26–61 mpg
Out on the road the Cruze is an undemanding car. It drives the same as the Cruze hatch or the saloon, with a relaxed and secure nature. While it’s not the last word in driver enjoyment it is stable and composed. There’s a little body roll in bends but nothing too serious.
The steering is curiously sensitive to engine choice though. Petrol-powered models have very light, vague steering that really needs a bit more ‘bite’ when turning into a bend, but the extra weight of the diesel engine makes a difference. The steering is still the weakest point of the drive though.
The ride is impressively smooth and comfortable, plus there’s not much road noise regardless of speed. On A-roads and motorways the Cruze is fairly serene and will cruise along nicely. Even over more twisting routes it's adequate if not particularly exciting.
The 1.7-litre diesel engine is versatile thanks to a decent torque figure of 300Nm from 2000rpm. Peak power is 130PS and emissions are 119g/km, while official fuel economy is 62.8mpg. The engine clatters a little at idle and when pushed hard but is otherwise fairly subdued. While it’s far from scintillating, it’s wel suited to the Cruze with enough poke when you need it.
The other two engines in the range are sadly lacking in comparison. There is a 1.6-litre petrol with 124PS and a 1.8-litre petrol with 141PS. Neither are particularly strong – they are coarse and strained when pushed hard and aren't particularly powerful. Economy is reasonable though with a claimed average of 42.2mpg for the 1.8 and 44.1mpg for the 1.6.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | 50 mpg | 14.6 s | 134 g/km |
| 1.6 | 43 mpg | 13.4 s | 151 g/km |
| 1.7 VCDi | 63 mpg | 10.4 s | 119 g/km |
| 1.7 VCDi 110 | 72 mpg | 12.4 s | 104 g/km |
| 1.7 VCDi 130 | 63 mpg | - | 117 g/km |
| 1.8 Automatic | 39 mpg | 11.9 s | 170 g/km |
| 2.0 VCDi Automatic | 46 mpg | 9.4–10.0 s | 164 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
84%
Real MPG
26–61 mpg
MPGs submitted
12
Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015) interior
- Boot space is 500–1478 litres
- Euro NCAP rating of five stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4681 mm |
| Width | - |
| Height | 1484–1521 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2685 mm |
As you’d expect from an estate model, the Cruze SW majors on practicality. The rear seats have decent legroom and there’s plenty of space in the boot for luggage and shopping with the rear seats in place. With them folded down there’s room for bulkier items like furniture, which are easy to load because there’s no lip over which to lift them.
There are also numerous useful cubby holes for storing tools or other odds and ends, along with underfloor storage cubbies for protecting valuable. It’s worth noting that the Kia Cee’d SW and Hyundai i30 Tourer offer more space and a more attractive cabin.
In the front, the plastics are hard but durable and the driving position is good, but the centre console layout is confusingly cluttered with buttons and can take some getting used to.
You’ll want for very little with a Cruze SW. All models come well equipped as standard there’s air conditioning, a split fold rear seat, 12v socket in the boot and ‘follow-me-home’ lights across the board. Top LTZ models come with sat nav and a very handy reversing camera.
Standard equipment from launch (July 2012):
LS models come with steel wheels, rake adjustable steering, front electric windows and air conditioning, 60/40 split folding rear seats, 12v socket in boot, brake assist, stability control, Isofix child seat mounts.
LT trim adds alloy wheels, reach/rake adjustable steering, electric windows all around and cruise control and parking sensors.
LTZ trim adds automatic headlights, rain sensing windscreen wipers, sat nav, reversing camera, Bluetooth and larger alloy wheels.
Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon (2012 – 2015) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4681 mm |
| Width | - |
| Height | 1484–1521 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2685 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1340–1539 kg |
| Boot Space | 500–1478 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 10000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £15,900–£21,305 |
| Insurance Groups | 11–29 |
| Road Tax Bands | B–H |
| Official MPG | 39.2–72.4 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | 5 |
On sale until June 2017
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.4 100ps LS Start+Stop 5dr | £16,200 | 49.5 mpg | 14.6 s |
| 1.4 100ps LT Start+Stop 5dr | £17,300 | 49.5 mpg | 14.6 s |
| 1.6 117ps LS 5dr | £15,905 | 42.8 mpg | 13.4 s |
| 1.6 117ps LT 5dr | £17,005 | 42.8 mpg | 13.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi 110ps LT Start+Stop 5dr | £19,695 | 72.4 mpg | 12.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi 130ps LT Start+Stop 5dr | £19,395 | 62.7 mpg | - |
| 1.7VCDi 110 LTZ Nav Start+Stop 5dr | £20,795 | 72.4 mpg | 12.4 s |
| 1.8 141ps LT Auto 5dr | £18,610 | 39.2 mpg | - |
| 2.0 VCDi 163 LTZ Nav Auto 5dr | £21,305 | 45.5 mpg | 9.4 s |
On sale until January 2015
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.4 LS Stop Start 100 5dr | £16,200 | 49.5 mpg | 14.6 s |
| 1.4 LT Stop Start 100 5dr | £17,300 | 49.5 mpg | 14.6 s |
| 1.6 LS 117 5dr | £15,900 | 42.8 mpg | 13.4 s |
| 1.6 LT 117 5dr | £17,000 | 42.8 mpg | 13.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi LT 110 5dr | £19,695 | 72.4 mpg | 12.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi LT 130 5dr | £19,395 | 62.7 mpg | 10.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi LTZ 110 5dr | £20,795 | 72.4 mpg | 12.4 s |
| 1.7 VCDi LTZ 130 5dr | £20,495 | 62.7 mpg | 10.4 s |
| 1.8 LT 141 Auto 5dr | £18,600 | 39.2 mpg | 11.9 s |
| 2.0 VCDi LTZ 163 Auto 5dr | £21,300 | 45.5 mpg | 10.0 s |
Model History
March 2012
The Cruze Station Wagon model represents the latest body style of Chevrolet’s most popular global model, the Cruze, and complements the saloon and hatchback versions. Together, these have achieved combined sales across the world of over one million since the saloon variant debuted in 2009.
"The Cruze Station Wagon caters to an important market segment. It ticks all the boxes for European drivers in terms of distinctive design, dynamic driving, space and economy," said Chevrolet Europe President and Managing Director Susan Docherty.
It features generous storage space and a choice of powerful and efficient engines, including a new 130bhp 1.7-litre VCDi diesel engine, with start-stop technology as standard and CO 2 emissions of 119g/km.
At 4,678mm, the Station Wagon is slightly longer than the hatchback (4,510 mm) and saloon (4,597 mm) models. Load space ranges from 500 litres up to the window line in the rear to nearly 1,500 litres up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.
June 2012
With all the kit that’s packed into Chevrolet’s latest brand new offering already, you’d think there wouldn’t be enough room for your luggage. But with up to 1,478 litres of load space the new Cruze Station Wagon has plenty of room to spare.
Set to arrive at Chevrolet dealerships later this year, the biggest model in the Cruze line up brings with it new levels of practicality, along with an upmarket level of style, thanks to its wide ‘wheels-out’ stance and distinctive dual-port radiator grille.
Three engines and three trim levels will be offered in the UK at launch, with prices starting at a very competitive £15,375 on-the-road.
The three trim levels are LS, LT and LTZ Nav. The entry-level LS, which comes with a 124PS 1.6-litre engine, is extremely well-equipped. It comes with air conditioning, follow-me-home headlamps, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, front electric windows with ‘express down’ facility, roof rails rear and boot 12v power sockets, cargo restraint hooks, remote central door locking, electronic boot release, ESC and traction control all among the standard kit.
The LT model adds a leather steering wheel and gear knob, front fog lamps, rear parking distance sensors, cruise control, electric rear windows and 16-inch alloy wheels to the mix, and is offered with a choice of 1.6-litre 124PS petrol, 1.8-litre 141PS petrol Auto or 1.7-litre 130PS diesel engines producing 119g/km of CO2.
The top model in the line up is the LTZ NAV, which gets a seven-inch colour display screen, sat nav, Bluetooth, rain-sensing wipers, an electrochromatic self-dipping mirror, automatic lighting control, rear parking sensors with rear view camera, electronic climate control and 17-inch alloys. It comes with the 1.7-litre 130PS diesel engine only, coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
| Model | Price |
| 1.6 LS | £15,375 |
| 1.6 LT | £16,475 |
| 1.8 LT Auto | £18,075 |
| 1.7 VCDi LT | £18,925 |
| 1.7 VCDi LTZ NAV | £19,785 |
