Chevrolet cruzes into tough market

In its favour the Cruze ticks a lot of right boxes. In a segment not known for good looking cars (think Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Mitsubishi GLS, Honda Civic, Volvo S40, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Cerato) the Cruze is handsome and different enough to warrant a second look.

It also comes with excellent specifications, good ride quality, comfort, a service plan and a long warranty at prices that are well below the average for this segment.

But is this enough to make the bowtie a first choice in the sub-compact market where GMSA has never been represented before? Or to elevate it to flagship status to take over the GMSA banner from Opel?

Quality Cruze

Certainly the Cruze has all the right ammunition for the challenge considering that this is a Mister Average market where cars are judged on price, running costs, functionality, reliability, comfort and safety rather than drop-dead looks, tar-scarring performance and sporty handling.

Quality throughout with excellent specifications, good ride quality, comfort, a service plan and a long warranty.

One of the biggest attractions of the new Cruze is its build quality. This is undoubtedly the best glued and screwed together product to don the golden bowtie.

There are four models from which to choose: A 1,6-litre L at R174 192, a 1,6-litre LS at R186 126, a 1,8-litre LS at R204 133 and the flagship 1,8-litre LT automatic at R244 440.

The 1,6-litre models produce 84 kW and 153 Nm and are only available with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The 1,8 engine kicks out 104 kW and 176 Nm and is available as a five-speed manual or six-speed auto shift.

GMSA says the 1.6 litre Cruze will accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 12,5 seconds while the 1.8 litre version achieves this in 10.0 seconds. Combined cycle fuel consumption is given as 6,7 l/100km and 6,8 l/100km respectively.

Slow but unsure

At the media launch in KZN I drove both engine options and although both power mills are a tad sleepy they are fine for city traffic and open road cruising.

The side view shows how the flared wheel arches are nicely filled with 17-inch alloys.

My choice would be the 1,8-litre manual way ahead of the auto model. The automatic shift and the sleepy engine unfortunately don't work well together.

The auto shift irritatingly hunts and seeks and particularly on stretches of undulating road or during overtaking it cannot seem to make up its mind about which gear it wants to be in.

The engine is also slow to respond. Put your foot down and the engine noise levels increase quite dramatically but without a matching power response.

I think a five-speed auto would be much more suitable as a partner to this engine and certainly the 1,8-litre (in both the manual and auto options) can do with a good dose of go-faster medicine.

Crouching Cruze

But then again the sort of person who buys a C segment car will probably not be too bothered by this because Mister Average's sedate drive-style is probably a perfect match for the Cruze's performance.

Chiselled bonnet leads down to unusual arrowhead headlights.

Certainly just about everything else about the Cruze is good news. Quite stylish in appearance, an arching roofline that extends from the steeply raked windshield to the slim rear pillars gives it an almost coupe-like look.

The front end of the car is particularly pleasing with a chiselled bonnet leading down to unusual arrowhead headlights.

The traditional Chevrolet ‘bowtie' shines prominently above a black radiator grille and air intakes.

The flared wheel arches are nicely filled with 17-inch alloys to give the car an attractive broad, slightly crouching stance. Overall, the Cruze looks quite classy and a touch upmarket.

This impression is carried through to the five-seat living quarters. The lay-out is an attractive combination of black and metal trim.

Sounds good

The top half of the facia houses a six-speaker radio/audio system which is MP3 compatible and produces top quality sound.

Large rear lights give ample warning you're braking.

The audio controls on the steering wheel work well, once you've got used to them because they are small and a little finicky.

Below that you have the climate control console with buttons and controls all in the right place - easy to locate and easy to operate.

The instrument cluster is particularly attractive with black dials, white lettering, red pointers and soft blue backlighting.

The cabin oozes quality and when one factors in nice-to-haves such as park distance sensors, automatic lights, rain-sensing wipers, electric windows, folding mirrors, 60:40 split rear seats and a large boot then the car comes across more upmarket than the price suggests.

The back seat offers ample leg, shoulder and head room, although taller travellers might find the roof ceiling a little low.

The leather seats are particularly comfortable and enhanced by the Cruze's smooth ride. Even on bumpy roads progress is almost silky smooth.

The steering is light and a little vague, but at legal limits it's more than adequate and it certainly makes for easy parking.

Safety first

The Cruze scores particularly well in the passenger safety department with a structure designed to absorb impact energy.

A large boot, large enough for the clubs and groceries to keep the wife happy.

Full-length beams and strengthened metal in the side sills, B-pillars and A-pillars, front and rear crumple zones, three point seat belts, Isofix child seats, airbags (they vary in location and numbers from model to model) and a collapsible pedal assembly which helps prevent the driver's feet from being trapped in the event of a severe impact, are all standard.

Active safety measures include ABS anti-lock braking (all models) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Traction control (TCS) fitted as standard on the 1.6 LS & 1.8 LS and 1.8 LT models.

The Cruze is a well-built, comfortable car with excellent specifications, good safety features, upmarket ride and a competitive price tag.

As a mid-range family car, company fleet car or as a rental vehicle it has all the potential to do well. GMSA certainly thinks the Cruze has what it takes and it is banking on it to become as popular as its volume sellers Aveo and Spark and its other established Chevrolet model, the Captiva.

Good news for oil-burner fans is that 2.0-litre 16-valve turbo diesel engine will be offered in the Cruze from the second quarter of 2010.

It will have high pressure common rail fuel injection and a variable geometry turbocharger.

While the full specification for this engine is still to be announced, torque is quoted as 320 Nm delivered from just 2000 r/min. Fuel economy could be as low as 5,6 l/100km which will give the Cruze diesel a cruising range of over 1000 kilometres.