# Cruze TD gets LESS aero than the Eco?



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Check out the video here:

900 Miles on One Tank - Cruze Turbo Diesel Road-trip: Tessa Baughman - Faces of GM - YouTube

"This vehicle has _quite a few of_ the technologies and the aero improvements that the Eco vehicle does."

She then goes on to list the features on the TD:

-Belly Pans
-Eco Manual Grille (smaller opening)
-LRR Tires
-Air Dam
-Spoiler
-Tire Deflectors

Nowhere in that video do they claim to have the active shutters... if they were there you'd bet they would be hyping them! This seems like a case of "We're already good enough at 46 MPG hwy, let's not put more money into it." The lowered suspension doesn't get a mention, either. Maybe the car is heavier and sits lower on the regular springs?

There goes my theory about them not including the RS appearance package because of the active shutter compatibility with the RS grille... maybe not including the shutters was an 11th hour decision? This makes me wonder if a manual version with a wicked tall 6th gear and the Eco's active aero could have topped 50 MPG on the EPA's test cycle?


----------



## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

What are these belly pans they speak of?


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I assume they're the same belly pans on the ECO AT and MT. They smooth out the under-car air flow, reducing aerodynamic drag. There is no reason the ECO's shutters can't be used with the RS package other than possible missing the mounting points to secure the shutter assembly to the car. The ECU would also need to be updated to know when to open/close the shutters.


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

obermd said:


> There is no reason the ECO's shutters can't be used with the RS package other than possible *missing the mounting points* to secure the shutter assembly to the car.


I'd be surprised if the RS grille has the mounting points required. I could be completely wrong...


----------



## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

obermd said:


> I assume they're the same belly pans on the ECO AT and MT. They smooth out the under-car air flow, reducing aerodynamic drag. There is no reason the ECO's shutters can't be used with the RS package other than possible missing the mounting points to secure the shutter assembly to the car. The ECU would also need to be updated to know when to open/close the shutters.


I know lol, I was taking a stab at the recall hack job. I'm curious to see if it will have the modified shield or not. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


----------



## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

XtremeAaron said:


> What are these belly pans they speak of?


Remember they are the things that collected oil after sloppy oil changes and caught fire a few times. They had to cut slats in them to let spilled oil out.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Eugene_C said:


> Remember they are the things that collected oil after sloppy oil changes and caught fire a few times. They had to cut slats in them to let spilled oil out.


You're confusing the engine shield with the laminar air flow belly panels. The belly panels on the ECO weren't cut out. It was the engine shield that was hacked away.


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

FWIW -- Here is how GM answered the NHSTA question about aerodynamics "loss" due to hacking of the lower engine shield (Q#12 on second page):

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM423104/RCORRD-12V288-6767.pdf


----------



## NYCruze2012 (Jan 16, 2012)

Belly pans? the whole underside?


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

NYCruze2012 said:


> Belly pans? the whole underside?


The Cruze ECO has a pair of pans - one on each side of the exhaust system - that run from the front axle to the rear axle. The area behind the rear axle is also very smooth on all US/Canada Cruzen with a cover over the gas tank and then the trunk floor. Prior to the engine shield recall even the undercarriage in front of the front axle was reasonably covered. Non-ECO Cruzen don't have the panels between the front and rear axles, leaving the area between the axles rough and bumpy (from an air flow point of view) just like most other cars.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I looked at a Cruze Diesel today and it does indeed have the active air flow shutters. The only thing it appears to not have is the "weight reduction" garbage GM foisted on the ECO MT. The results of not cutting the weight is a City MPG estimate of 27, one less than the ECO MT. This results in the combined EPA number being the same 33 MPG as the ECO MT.


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

One feature of the diesel that seems to keep getting missed is the heater. It is using the electric heater from the Volt to augment the regular heater core, so, instant heat!

Rob


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Robby said:


> One feature of the diesel that seems to keep getting missed is the heater. It is using the electric heater from the Volt to augment the regular heater core, so, instant heat!
> 
> Rob


Just hope it has a BIGGER (greater A·hr) battery for all that electrical "load"!


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

It does....I think 800 ah was bandied about.....supposed to have a higher output alternator for that battery and heater too.

Rob


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Robby said:


> It does....I think *800 ah *was bandied about.....supposed to have a *higher output alternator *for that battery and heater too.
> 
> Rob


That's the kind of information GM needs to be getting "out" to the inquisitive.


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

G.M. has a very long history of forgetting to mention some of the good stuff they come up with.

I believe they assume nobody gives a hoot.....and for the most part, they are right....most folks just buy 'A Car'.
We're the weirdo's that like this stuff....a minority we are.

Rob


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

obermd said:


> I looked at a Cruze Diesel today and it does indeed have the active air flow shutters.


WOW... to think they went to the effort of putting out a video that would pretty much convince people it didn't have them, even some of the geeks (me) on this site. Someone at GM probably got a BIG slap over that!


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

*Blue Angel* -- if you're REALLY interested, here's the _Canadian_ *2014 Cruze Diesel Owners Manual*:

http://www.gm.ca/media/owners/manuals/2014_Chevrolet_Cruze_Manual_en_CA.pdf


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Where do you find all this stuff, Cuda?!? Is there some GM information vault on line that only you have access to?


----------



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

About that heater (pretty cool IMO)!

The 1.4T should have one too 

A unique feature of the Cruze Turbo Diesel HVAC controls is the addition of an auxiliary electric heater that can be enabled by turning the temperature setting to full heat. This will improve the cabin heating in cold weather.


----------

