2025 Chevrolet Groove RS

Good but can be better

If there’s one brand in the Philippine automotive market that needs a boost, it’s Chevrolet. The bow-tie brand has experienced some rough seas, but they are looking to bounce back in a huge way. With Hariphil Asia Resources Inc. now at the helm, Chevrolet Philippines is out to launch new products, open more dealerships, and improve its aftersales service.

We’ve already driven the Captiva earlier this year, and while the 7-seater MPV impressed us with its smooth turbocharged engine and CVT, there were some aspects of the cabin we wish Chevrolet would improve upon. Now, we’ve been given the keys to try Chevrolet’s newest B-SUV fighter, the 2025 Groove RS.

Aimed against the likes of the GAC Emzoom, Chery Tiggo Cross, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Toyota Yaris Cross, MG ZS, Honda HR-V, and Mitsubishi XForce, the Chevrolet Groove comes out swinging with its sleek looks, spacious and high-tech cabin, and a turbocharged powertrain. But are those enough to convince buyers to get the all-new Groove instead of the stalwarts in the segment?

In a sea of crossovers, it can be quite difficult to stand out due to the abundance of choices in the market. For that, you have to make a very good first impression, and the Chevrolet Groove was able to deliver on that. Finished in a sleek color called Tungsten Gray, the Groove features a sporty and dynamic appearance that’s neither trying too hard nor too conservative.

The rectangular LED headlights & daytime running lights, together with the blacked-out dual-port grille with silver accents, give the Groove a robust and SUV-like appearance. It is then complemented by a distinct front bumper with lower air intakes and foglights as standard. And on certain angles, the front fascia of the Groove appears to have some styling cues borrowed from a certain B-SUV from Geely.

The sloping roofline, combined with the blacked-out roof, gives the illusion of a coupe-like profile that blends well with the elongated proportions of the Groove. Combined with the 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, black body cladding, and black side mirror caps, the Groove looks, well, groovy (yes, pun intended). Last but not least, the crossover comes with wraparound LED taillights and functional dual exhausts, which is almost unheard of these days.

The Chevrolet Groove may not rewrite the rulebook when it comes to designing B-SUVs, but I have to give props to the automaker for making a crossover SUV that’s stylish and stands out from the rest.

Open the doors, and I was impressed with the minimalist yet stylish cabin. From the acres of leather on the seats & dashboard to the faux metal accents on the center console & aircon vents, as well as red contrast stitching found throughout the cabin, Chevrolet made sure the Groove has one neat and sleek cabin.

Speaking of sleek, I have to mention the sporty seats which come as standard in the Groove. This was something I wasn't expecting to find in a B-SUV, but boy, were they comfy and kept you firmly planted. The driver's seat is power-adjustable, which means it was easy to get into the desired seating position, although the front passenger only has a manual adjustment. Despite having a fixed headrest, I was able to relax both my head and my neck, while the backrest offered plenty of side and lateral support.

Providing infotainment inside the Groove comes courtesy of a 10.25-inch touchscreen media display. It may not be the biggest screen in the segment, but at least it comes with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. It's not the wireless type so you still need to have a cable at the ready.

Speaking of not having wireless, I was surprised to find it does not have a wireless charging pad. This was quite disappointing since other brands have started making wireless charging standard on some of their top-of-the-line B-SUV models. Nevertheless, the Groove does come with USB-A, USB-C, and 12V charging ports to keep your devices juiced up.

Those seated in the back will find plenty of space thanks to the generous legroom, headroom, and elbowroom. Strangely, there's no rear center armrest to be found in the rear seats, which is an odd omission of such a feature. It doesn't have a full panoramic glass roof, but it does come with a power sunroof, which lets more light into the cabin.

Overall, the interior of the Chevrolet Groove is a nice place to be in. While it could have come with better features, the equipment list and amenities are substantial and more than enough to keep occupants entertained and relaxed.

Powering the Groove is a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 150 PS at 5200 rpm along with 255 Nm of torque between 1600 and 3600 rpm. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a CVT with manual select. If those figures look familiar, that’s because the Groove gets the same turbocharged powertrain as the 7-seater Captiva. However, that’s where the similarities end.

Getting off the line, I immediately noticed that the accelerator pedal is quite sensitive. Even a slight step on the gas pedal and the revs can sometimes immediately go beyond 2000 rpm. I had to adjust my footing and pedal application while driving around town and on city roads. Then there’s the brake pedal, which works but needs a driver used to other vehicles to adjust his or her pedal modulation. There are times when I feel I need to apply more braking force even though my foot’s already stepping on it. Hopefully, Chevrolet takes a look at this in their other Groove units.

While it seems like I’m comparing apples to oranges, I was expecting the Groove to have the same linear power delivery as the Captiva. But then again, that’s a 7-seater MPV that’s geared towards comfort. Perhaps Chevrolet tuned the Groove’s powertrain to be more engaging, although I wish they had tweaked the CVT to be smoother. That’s because in slow-moving traffic, the CVT tends to always adjust its belt, which sometimes leads to the Groove having a jerky sensation while in city traffic.

Once you leave the city and hit the open road, the jerkiness of the CVT goes away, and you’re treated to faster and smoother acceleration. Put your foot down, and the transmission quickly adjusts itself to deliver the utmost power. There is some delay, but only just, and after that, you’ll be surprised by how eager the Groove is to hit triple-digit speeds. It’s no hot hatch, but I was surprised by how it performed at highway speeds.

Handling may not be its forte, but the Groove handled itself well through twists and turns. Unlike most China-made crossovers (yes, the Chevrolet Groove is the result of the SAIC-GM-Wuling partnership) that have dull or numb steering, the Groove performed differently and even delivered some feedback to the steering wheel. But it’s in the ride comfort where the Groove truly impressed. Whether it was pockmarked roads, rutted streets, or the occasional potholes or bumps on the pavement, this Chevrolet is an easy rider.

When it comes to fuel consumption, the Groove was able to average between 9 - 9.5 km/L in light city traffic. In heavier traffic conditions, however, those figures go down to around 7- 8 km/L, which is not entirely bad but could have been better. Out on the open road, the Groove bounces back as it was able to return up to 16 km/L at an average speed of 90 km/h.

Overall, I believe the accelerator pedal could be less sensitive and the CVT should not be as aggressive, whether in normal mode or in Sport. Despite having a 50-liter fuel tank, the consumption of the Groove can sometimes match that of bigger 2.0L engines.

Like most crossover SUVs today, the Chevrolet Groove comes with a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for extra peace of mind while on the road. These include adaptive cruise control (ACC) with traffic jam assist (TJA), lane departure warning (LDW), lane departure prevention (LDP), emergency lane keeping, and forward collision warning (FCW) with automatic emergency braking (AEB).

Impressive the system may be, some of the intelligent driver aids are too sensitive for my liking, particularly FCW and AEB. I had to turn both features off as they constantly sound the alarm. One time, the system automatically applied the brakes even though the vehicle in front of me was still several meters away. Good thing there was no other vehicle behind me, as it could have resulted in someone rear-ending the vehicle by accident.

With a special introductory price tag of PHP 1,156,000, the Chevrolet Groove RS combines power, style, and features into one package. Granted, the B-SUV market is crowded with plenty of other choices, but the Groove RS fits right into the segment with what it has.

However, there are points of improvement Chevrolet can work on in the Groove, particularly the jerkiness of the CVT in city driving, better brake modulation, the lack of certain amenities like wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and the sensitivity of some of its ADAS features.

But perhaps the biggest hurdle the Chevrolet Groove RS needs to contend with is the continuous arrival of affordable hybrid crossovers. With models like the BYD Sealion 5 and the Chery Tiggo Cross HEV selling for PHP 1,248,000 and PHP 1,198,000, respectively, some buyers might be swayed to get electrified vehicles instead of traditional ICE.

The Chevrolet Groove RS is a nicely packaged B-SUV, but competition is getting fierce in the segment, and the bow-tie brand will have to answer with electrified models sooner or later.