Review: Holden JH Cruze (2011-16)

Review: Holden JH.I Cruze (2011-14)

Overview

Released in March 2011, the Holden JH.I Cruze marked the beginning of Australian production for the Cruze sedan which had previously been manufactured in South Korea. In November 2011, the JH Cruze range was expanded to include five-door hatchback models. Please note that the JH Cruze Sportwagon has been reviewed separately.

Engines: A18XER, Z20S1, A14NET, A16LET

The JH Cruze sedan and hatchback were available with a choice of four engines:

• The 1.8-litre A18XER four-cylinder petrol engine had a cast iron cylinder block, an aluminium cylinder head, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, double continuous variable cam phasing and a compression ratio of 10.5:1;
• The 2.0-litre ‘Family Z’ Z20S1 diesel engine had common rail direct injection, an electronically-controlled variable geometry turbocharger, double overhead camshafts with hydraulic tensioners, twin balance shafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 16.5:1;
• The 1.4-litre A14NET turbo petrol engine had a cast-iron block, aluminium cylinder head, chain-driven double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, double continuous variable cam phasing and a compression ratio of 9.5:1; and,
• Available from April 2013, the 1.6-litre A16LET turbo petrol engine had similar properties to the A14NET engine, though the compression ratio was lowered to 8.8:1.

Models with the 1.4- and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines were also fitted with electric power steering (as opposed to hydraulic steering) and added a Watts linkage to the torsion beam rear suspension to reduce lateral movement.

Dimensions

Compared to the JG Cruze , the JH Cruze could be identified by its a revised front end with a more rounded grille, new headlights, bumpers, air intake, rear fascia and wheel designs. Compared to the sedan, the Cruze hatchback was 79 mm shorter (at 4518 mm), but had the same wheelbase (2685 mm), height (1477 mm) and width (1797 mm). However, additional bracing for the hatch section increased mass by 14 kg relative to the sedan.

April 2013 (‘MY14’) Cruze update

In April 2013, the Cruze sedan and hatchback were updated  updated for the ‘2014 model year’ (MY14) with the range revised, features extended, prices reduced and the following mechanical changes:

• For models with petrol engines, the six-speed automatic transmission had new internal components and revised gearshift mapping changes for faster gearshifts, improved shift quality and more intuitive behaviour. For SRi variants, a sport shift mode with a predictive downshift function was also introduced;
• For Equipe and CDX variants with petrol engines, the spring and damper rates for the comfort-oriented suspension tune were revised. For the SRi variants, the springs were stiffened and lowered, the struts and shock absorbers were retuned and the rear torsion beam was stiffened; and,
• For models with 1.4- and 1.6-litre turbo petrol engines, the electric power steering system was also retuned.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the JH Cruze included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Cruze models with 1.4- and 1.8-litre petrol engines were fitted with 276 mm ventilated front brake discs and 268 mm solid rear discs. Models with 1.6-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines, however, had 300 mm ventilated front brake discs and 292 mm solid rear discs.

Euro NCAP and ANCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , a Chevrolet Cruze sedan – sold in Australia as the Holden Cruze – received a five star safety rating which included a 96 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating.

In ANCAP crash testing , the JG Cruze received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.04 out of 37 – this rating was applied to sedan and hatchback bodies, as well as models with petrol and turbo-diesel engines.

Features

As with its JG predecessor, standard features for the Cruze CD included 16-inch steel wheels, a six speaker sound system with a CD player and auxiliary inputs (USB/iPod/MP3), air conditioning, steering wheel audio and cruise controls, automatic headlights, remote central locking, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, power windows and heated mirrors, height adjustable front seats, a 12 volt power outlet, trip computer and an immobiliser.

The Cruze CDX was further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, climate control air conditioning, leather seats, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, front fog lamps and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift.

Compared to the CD variant, the Cruze SRi added 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, ‘Sonic’ blue cloth trim, front fog lamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift, modified grille and air intake and rear lip spoiler. Beyond this, the SRi V added leather seats, heated front seats, satellite navigation with a seven inch LCD, CD/MP3 rip and storage capability (including 10GB hard drive), a DVD player, live-radio pause function, rear parking sensors and a proximity key.

November 2011: Cruze update

In November 2011, standard features for the JH Cruze were extended to include Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity.

April 2013 and June 2013: Cruze updates

With the CD variants replaced by the Cruze Equipe, standard features were extended to include 17-inch alloy wheels, Holden’s MyLink infotainment system with seven-inch touch screen and Bluetooth audio streaming, front fog lights and rear parking sensors.

The MyLink system could connect to the internet via a mobile phone’s 3G data connection and stream music through the Pandora and Stitcher music applications. From June 2013, functionality was improved with enhanced voice control, text to voice functionality, Siri Eyes-Free integration.

Standard features for the Cruze CDX were extended to include a reversing camera, keyless entry and push-button start. Inside, the front seats were revised and there were new metallic highlights for the dashboard.

The Cruze SRi and SRi V both gained 18-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza tyres, while the latter also received a reversing camera, keyless entry and push-button start. For the SRi V, however, satellite navigation was omitted until June 2013 when the MyLink satellite navigation system – with integrated voice control, full colour maps and turn-by-turn guidance – was introduced.

Cruze Equipe: April and October 2012

Limited-run Equipe variants were released in both April and October 2012; compared to the entry-level CD variant, the Equipe variants added 17-inch alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. Visually, the Equipe variants could be identified by their eponymous badging.

May 2014: Cruze Z-Series and Cruze SRi Z-Series

In May 2014, the Cruze CDX sedan and SRi-V variant were replaced by the Cruze Z-Series and SRi Z-Series, respectively. Compared to the CDX, the Z-Series was distinguished by its dark finish alloy wheels, sill plates, ‘Z-Series’ floor mats, rear lip spoiler and ‘Z-Series’ badge.

Relative to the SRi V, the SRi Z-Series was distinguished by its dark finish alloy wheels, sill plates, ‘Z-Series’ floor mats, alloy pedal covers and ‘Z-Series’ badge; hatchback models were also fitted with a rear spoiler.

Brochures

• Brochure: Holden JH Cruze (March 2011)
• Brochure: Holden JH Cruze (July 2012)
• Brochure: Holden JH Cruze Equipe (October 2012)
• Brochure: Holden JH Cruze (April 2014)

Related links

• Holden Media: New Australian-Designed Cruze Hatch Ready To Take On The World (November 2011)
• Holden Media: Cruze Hatch: Engineered and Tailored for Australia (November 2011)
• Holden Media: New Features and Pricing Announced on Cruze Range (September 2011)
• Holden Media: New Holden Cruze Strengthens Family Ties (March 2013)
• Holden Media: Cruze First Locally Made Car to Feature Holden Mylink Premium Infotainment System (March 2013)
• Holden Media: What is Pandora? (March 2013)
• Product Information: Holden JH Cruze (March 2013)
• Holden Media: Holden Cruze SRi-V adds Satellite Navigation (July 2013)
• Specifications: Holden JH Cruze (2014)
• Holden Media: Holden Introduces New Cruze Z-Series and SRi Z-Series Models (May 2014)

Review: Holden JH.II Cruze (2015-16)

Overview

Released in January 2015, the Holden JH.II Cruze introduced a simplified range which omitted the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines. Visually, the 2015 Holden Cruze could be identified by its twinport grille.

Features: 2015 Cruze

For the 2015 Cruze, the Equipe was fitted with new 17-inch alloy wheels and the door mirrors had integrated turn signal lamps. In addition to these features, the Cruze SRi gained LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and front fog lamps.

The Cruze SRi-V featured new 18-inch alloy wheels, suede seat inserts, rain-sensing wipers and remote start functionality, while the Cruze CDX gained satellite navigation with live traffic updates and voice commands.

2016 Cruze range

In January 2016, the JH.II Cruze range was revised as the CDX, SRi and SRi V variants were discontinued and Z-Series and SRi-Z variants were introduced. New 17-inch alloy wheel design introduced for the Cruze Equipe.

Compared to the Cruze CDX, the Cruze Z-Series was distinguished by its 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, sill plates, ‘Z-Series’ badging and floor mats. The Cruze Z-Series sedan had a rear lip spoiler, while hatchbacks had a rear sports spoiler.

Compared to the SRi V, the Cruze SRi-Z was fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels in a ‘Satin Medium Android’ colour, alloy pedals covers, sill plates and, for hatchbacks, a rear sport spoiler.

Related links

• Brochure: Holden JH.II Cruze (January 2015)
• Holden Media: New Year, New Look for Holden Cruze (January 2015)
• Holden.com.au: Holden Cruze
• Wikipedia.org: Chevrolet Cruze