- Station wagon combines generous cargo space with host of convenience features
- Vehicles with connected radio to support Siri; BringGo navigation app as of March
With winter still in full swing, many fans of the cold season are headed for the mountains in their cars. The suitability of passenger vehicles for longer journeys varies quite a bit, and it is worth looking at some of the criteria that have been found to matter to car buyers. Whether or not a vehicle is the right choice for longer drives has as much to do with internal space as it has with smooth handling, running refinement and efficient insulation against noise. Other factors that impact the quality of the driving experience relate to technology that facilitates such tasks as navigating and getting the car parked in a tight space. With the new Cruze station wagon, Chevrolet has convincingly shown that high levels of travel comfort and driving pleasure are attainable at a fair price.
Being the latest member Chevrolet’s popular Cruze family, the station wagon offers up to 1478L of cargo space in a compact sized car. While much has been said about the top EuroNCAP safety rating the notchback earned, the Cruze has also been appreciated for its modern cabin design. Since noise tends to exhaust most people over long periods of time, engineers sought to disrupt the transfer of sound and vibration from the engine and chassis into the passenger compartment.
The engineers applied nylon baffle packs in specific locations and insulated small body sections with special molten damping patches. Consisting of three layers, the acoustic headliner contributes to the Cruze’s quiet ride. This particularly holds true for models equipped with the 2.0 and 1.7L diesel units whose discreet sound profile is far cry from that of older compression ignition engines.
In addition to cruise control and acoustic park assist, mid- and up-level specifications of the Cruze station wagon also offer enhanced connectivity. Chevrolet MyLink technology is built around a seven-inch full color touch screen that is wired to a rear-view camera, in itself a rather outstanding feature in this price range. MyLink aggregates content from compatible smartphones, both IOS and Android onto the touch screen display. Starting this March, Chevrolet cars with Chevrolet MyLink technology are available with Siri Eyes Free**, an intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking.
A dedicated navigation app called BringGo will also become available in Chevrolets that come with MyLink. It projects the route from the smartphone onto the system’s touch-screen. BringGo features lane guidance which will help drivers by displaying the correct lane(s) to stay in while ‘live traffic’ will provide real-time traffic information. The traffic service requires an active network connection through the smartphone. On top of that the MyLink connected also allows you to view photos and – when the car is stationary – videos taken with your smartphone. In the domain of infotainment, too, the Chevrolet Cruze station wagon has set a new benchmark in its price segment.
** Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd and 4th generations), iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation), and requires internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.
Current owners of a Cruze with the Chevrolet MyLink connected radio can opt to upgrade their systems for Siri capability in the coming months.
