Chevrolet Cruze: First Drive

Just one look at the Cruze and you will be taken in by its good looks, taunt stance and size. The large rakish headlights, wide grill and sculpted bumper give the car a menacingly handsome fascia. GM is definitely taking styling very seriously and considering the fact that the Cruze is set to have a global presence, this fact is all the more important for the first step towards acceptance is that customers worldwide should admire the way the car looks.

With such focus on style, GM didn't just stop at the front. When viewed from the side, the sporty overtone carries over for the car has a nicely curved roofline that merges well with the rather steeply raked rear windscreen. It's a rather European look and feel that this car possesses, except from the rear. The rear of the Cruze screams 'Honda Civic'. Literally, the rear lights just look like inverted Civic lights a fact that was confirmed by onlookers who asked me if I happen to be driving the new Civic. Of course they were completely oblivious to the bow-tie on the rear, but it does prove my point.

Nevertheless, the Cruze oozes with style and complimenting the entire package are the nice large 16 inch alloys wrapped in tubeless 205/60 JK Vectra rubber. To sum the exterior styling, I would say the Cruze is a combination of American Muscle Car and European Sedan with a dash of Japanese essence thrown in! What you get is a marriage of parts that work to give you a stunning car that would even look good in racing stripes.

The Chevrolet Cruze

Getting into the Cruze is also an experience for you don't need the keys to open the door! That's right, the Cruze comes with sensors on the door, so just as long as you have the keys in your pocket the door will pop right open when you pull on the handle. While on the subject of doors, it is rather simple to lock as well, for all you have to do is give the handle a gentle pull and the doors will lock. Anyways, back to the interiors of the car.

Once inside you will notice the sporty-muscle tone carried over here as well. It's a bit too much plastic at parts and the fit and finish could have been better but the overall look is rather striking for you almost feel as though you are in a cockpit. The large steering wheel with cruise control and stereo controls has a nice feel to it, the dials boast of a three-pod look that might have come straight out of a classic Chevy car-chrome and all! The center console however had me thinking 'Transformers'. Starting from the LED display to the controls of the in dash stereo and CD player down to the controls for the A/C and climate control and flanked by the center two A/C vents on the dash, the entire look was rather like the Transformers logo- a good thing considering the fact that GM is the official provider of cars for the Transformers movie franchise!

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GM could have really done wonders with the interiors for they are well designed, its just that they are poorly put together at places. Apart from the plastic cubby holes in the doors the one little box on top of the dashboard spoils the party for it just doesn't sit right and has gaping gaps when shut. Another element that caught my eye as tacky was the sunglass holder. Placed uniquely towards the right side of the driver's head, the quality of the holder was really sub standard.

In terms of space, the Cruze is rather decent and offers ample room for the front passengers. Rear passengers also get enough leg room however head room is at a premium thanks to the steeply raked rear glass and downward flowing roofline. A neat yet rather awesome surprise is thrown at you when you want to get the car moving. There is no key hole for the ignition! Instead you get a rather neat start/stop button towards the left of the steering column on the dash. A gentle push of the button, provided you have the clutch pressed and the 2.0 VCDi Diesel engine roars to life. Alright, you really can't hear it roar thanks to all the insulation, but the car does come to life. The instrument cluster takes on a neat blue glow which fits in well with the sporty tone and as you notch it into first gear to drive away you finally realize why this car is called the Cruze!

That is right, the 1991 CC common rail diesel four cylinder engine churns out a more than decent 150PS @ 4000 rpm and 330Nm of torque at 2600 rpm, which in layman terms translates to cruise missile levels of performance from this sedan. Ease off the clutch, poke that accelerator pedal towards mother earth and the Cruze will unleash all its power to the front wheels in a manner that will literally leave the competition still at the start line. Speed builds up rather quick and you are three digit territory before you know it. Work your way through the 5 gears on the slightly notchy gearbox (another aspect that leaves you wanting for a bit more) and you will find the Cruze attaining levels of performance that cannot be mimicked. A complete road test will unravel more, however the flat out performance is something that is really worth the experience. What is the downside? The engine's dark side showed itself in slow moving traffic. As I was driving around on congested roads post my highway run, I couldn't but help notice a serious amount of turbo lag below 1700-1800 rpm. The car becomes sluggish and until it spools up it can be a bit of a pain under slow tight conditions. The Cruze demands open roads to be in its home environment.

Driving the Cruze around for a while and it starts to grow on you. Once you manage to keep the 4 pot engine on the boil, it makes for easy driving and a rather fun experience. Ride quality is also rather decent as the large wheels and ample suspension travel allow the car to soak up some rather big bumps. The independent McPherson's up front and coil springs at the rear do their job rather well and also allow for decent handling. Should you be in a spirited mood, the Cruze will take a corner, but just keep in mind it doesn't have ESP or any other form of traction control which could aid you on such a drive. Of course in terms of safety the car comes with ABS and two airbags, but some more active safety features would have been a nice addition to the package.

What GM India has here in form of the Cruze is a possible bestseller. Yes, it might have its shortcomings, however when you look at how it stacks up next to the competition such as the VW Jetta, Honda Civic, Skoda Laura and Toyota Corolla Altis, the Cruze does possess a lot of characteristics that make it a formidable opponent to these players. It drives well, handles well, has more interior space than some of the other cars and is touted to be priced rather aggressively. Pricing in the lower D segment is key and if GM really wants to make a success story out of the Cruze on Indian soil then they should literally place the Cruze at such a price point that it becomes an offer hard to refuse.