GM India intends to change the perspective of the Indian consumers by setting up Chevrolet as a young brand. The Cruze is the first one with the distinct new Chevrolet family look. The current Chevrolet range in India has different origins from different brands owned by General Motors across the globe like the Subaru, Holden, Chevrolet, Daewoo etc. Does the Cruze have what it takes to give GM a brand new identity?

The Chevrolet Cruze is based on the new Global Delta Platform or the 300 series platform with the Cruze’s project name being J300. This is GM’s new platform for compact front-wheel drive sedans and hatchbacks. The Delta platform uses independent suspension for the front and torsion-bar type suspension at the rear. The upcoming Chevrolet Beat is also based on the 300 series platform.

The Chevrolet brand in North America retains a family look which is what GM India is trying to do for the Indian market also. The new family look will retain a similar front fascia with a dual port grille with a new bowtie logo.

The Cruze carries a very bold and modern hood with a high crown and prominent strakes led by a large bowtie Chevrolet logo. The front grille is a black honeycomb mesh separated by a body-coloured crossbar with chrome surrounds, and dual bezel headlamps which protrude till the front fenders. The headlamps aren't capable enough considering the speeds the car is capable of. They need improvement.

The roofline of the Chevrolet Cruze is very coupe-like and the crisp swage line makes the shoulder of the Cruze look low. The apparently low shoulder and large wheels give the Chevrolet sedan a sportscar-like look, and the C-pillar reminds us of the old Audi TT. The sedan’s long wheelbase of 2685mm with little overhang front and rear, shallow greenhouse, flared wheelarches, seven-spoke alloys and the lightline above the rocker panels all make the Cruze look sporty.

The Cruze’s monocoque has a Body-Frame Integral structure made of high-strength steel. The Chevrolet Cruze has scored a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP ratings. The Cruze scored well in both occupant and pedestrian safety. Look the EuroNCAP’s Chevrolet Cruze assessment video.

To enter the Cruze, all you have to do is walk up to the car with the key in your hand or pocket, and pull on the door handle. The PEPS system will detect the key and unlock the doors automatically! The Cruze's interior looks modern and eye-catching. The dashboard is clearly divided into sections for the driver and the passenger, with the passenger getting a clear two-tone light and dark blue expanse of plastic which looks good but doesn't feel so good to the touch. The instrument cluster is dominated by the speedometer and tachometer, which sandwich a multi-function display that gives the driver all the information he could require. Above the display are the temperature and fuel gauge.

From the driver's seat, everything feels good - the car doesn't feel big except for the long bonnet. The steering wheel feels meaty and is just as big as we'd like it to be. The mirrors are usefully large, but we'd have preferred them to be a little bit bigger for our crowded traffic conditions. We don't like the seats of the Cruze too much, because they seem to be bolstered a little too much at the sides - only thin people will not feel a little uncomfortable in these seats. However, the Passive Entry/Passive Start system makes the driver feel like a million bucks, with a button to start or stop the engine present on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. This feature is a segment first. There is an emergency slot in the cubbyhole behind the gear lever into which the key can be inserted, but getting that flap open can be quite a task, as we discovered when we tried it. We recommend keeping a flathead screwdriver handy if you own a Cruze.

The centre console is topped by the display for the audio system. This blue-on-black display is easy on the eyes, especially at night. The controls for the six-disc changer are situated underneath the display. The system plays clearly and loudly - however, we'd have liked more punch at the low frequencies. The audio system also has an auxiliary input in the centre armrest, but no USB or iPod connectivity. The design element that makes up the 'V' at whose centre the hazard button is is an eye-catching one. The door locks can be activated or deactivated with the button on the right and on the left the button is blank. We assume that it is for the ESP switch that other markets have. The last row houses the controls for the climate control, which is quite effective. It chills the cabin sufficiently in a reasonable period, but directing the airflow wasn't something easily achieved.

There is more than enough legroom and headroom for the front passenger, although a tall driver who likes to sit high might find his head quite close to the roof. It's a different story in the back, however - not only is getting in and out hard thanks to the car being low, the big wheel arch and dipping roofline contribute towards a shape which is not conducive to weak knees, bad backs or graceful exits. Once inside, things don't get much better - the roof is quite low, and the lack of legroom is quite shocking. This car will sell in a primarily chauffeur-driven segment in our market, which is something the Cruze needs to cater to as well if it needs to be popular. Boot space is reasonable, although the high sill can make putting heavy objects into the boot a task for short people.

A feature worth a special mention is the lighting: our test car's exterior color matched the ice-blue lighting of the dials, which looked good. The dashboard illumination looks good at night, and a nice touch are the backlit buttons on the steering wheel.

Powerplant

The Cruze is powered by a transverse 2.0-litre VCDi motor (engine code: RA 420 SOHC) which even does duty on the Chevrolet Captiva. This common-rail diesel engine is designed by V.M. Motori S.p.A. which is an Italian based manufacturer. The engine is currently produced under license by GM Daewoo and not V.M. Motori; and the engine is BS-IV ready and is already serving in European nations with Euro-IV norms. This is a 16-valve belt-driven SOHC 1991cc engine which churns out 150bhp@4000rpm power and produces a maximum torque of 327Nm @2600rpm powering the front wheels of the Cruze through a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The turbo lag can be felt as the engine struggles to push when at speeds lower than 1800rpm. However, when the speed crosses 1800rpm and the variable geometry turbocharger spools up, the engine surges forward as it unleashes its power and it is highly responsive within its powerband. Twin gear-driven balance shafts and the four-point cradle engine mountings cut down on noise and vibration.

The engine is quite clattery at idle but is otherwise refined. During testing, the Cruze galloped from 0-100kph in 10.3 seconds in the manual as well as automatic which is only 0.2 seconds slower than a Civic and completed the quarter mile run in 17.5 seconds in the manual and 17.3 seconds in the automatic and clocked a top speed of 210.6kph.

Transmission

The Chevrolet Cruze in India is available only with a five-speed manual transmission (D33 transmission). The gearbox has been designed with tall gear ratios to obtain the maximum efficiency from the powerhouse of an engine.

Accelerating from very low engine speeds can become a problem and shifting to lower gears is the only option to overtake quickly. The short-throw lever makes shifting easy; however, due to a very close gate, the driver can mis-shift into the wrong slot. During our testing, the Cruze clocked 30-50kph in the third gear in 6.1 seconds and took 11.2 seconds in the fourth to attain the same speed, in the fifth gear in the 50-70kph, the Cruze took 15.3 seconds. The overdrive gear is a very tall gear and perfect for highway cruising.

The six-speed automatic transmission offered on the Chevrolet Cruze and like the manual trans, it has taller gears for better efficiency. The shifts in the autobox are a bit delayed, however the stress while driving in heavy city traffic is reduced. To our dismay,while cruising the autobox moves to sixth gear only at a speed of more than 80-85kph when compared to its German competitors which shift into the sixth gear at about 60-65kph.

Fuel Efficiency

The manual transmission Chevrolet Cruze returned us an overall fuel efficiency of 11.2 kpl and in our test, which is mostly pedal to metal drive, the Cruze travelled 10.5 kilometres on a litre of diesel. The Automatic variant returned an overall figure of 10.8kpl and in our testing conditions it was just under the shade of 10kpl.

The suspension of the Cruze comprises front McPherson struts and rear torsion beam with gas-filled dampers which gives the occupants a firm and composed ride at both low and high speeds. The gas-filled shocks absorb most of the ruts and jounces well without affecting ride quality. Chevrolet India offers only a single tyre size (205/60/R16) compared to the Australian variants which have an additional option of 215/50/R17s.

The engineers in Chevrolet have tweaked the handling characteristics of the Cruze. The Cruze handles brilliantly and is one of the best handlers in its segment. Whether on straight roads, sweeping corners or winding hills, you won’t be let down. Our test car rode on JK Vectras which gripped well but squealed loudly at high cornering speeds, undermining driver confidence. However, the long wheelbase of 2685mm and a wide front track of 1544mm kept the Cruze firm on most surfaces. Even at speeds in excess of 190kph, the car felt well planted with no signs of nervousness. We would have loved to see the Cruze on a softer tyre compound like the Michelins or the Pirellis have which are also quieter on concrete roads compared to the Vectras. The U-shaped suspension with torsion beams at the rear help to reduce the body roll which is quite negligible due to the long wheelbase and low ride height; and the roll steer is designed to cut out tyre slip angle while cornering as the Cruze has wider rear track of 1558mm compared to the front track of 1544mm.

The steering wheel of the Cruze is connected to the wheels by a simple rack-and-pinion steering linkage system. The steering wheel is light at low speeds and weighs up a little at high speeds. Even though the steering is light, it doesn’t feel artificial at any point and is always responsive. The powerful motor along with excellent ride and handling characteristics make the Cruze stand out in its segment. The Cruze has a ground clearance of 165mm which isn’t bad; however the approach and departure angles of the car can cause some moments of worry for drivers.

The disc brakes at the front and rear of the Cruze are quite effective and brake progressively. Brake feel is good and in our brake test, the Cruze travelled 36.5 metres from 80kph to a complete halt.

The Cruze which is available in a price bracket of Rs 11.50 lakh to approximately Rs 13 lakh is not a car for a person looking for brand value. The Cruze is a sedan which can attract a person looking for a performance-based car, or a tech-savvy person who wants a lot of features in his car, or even a young executive who has just started his family and needs a change from the established sedans. The Cruze is value for money considering the overall package and a warranty of 1,00,000km/3 years. Chevrolet even assures the cost of the spares of the Cruze is lower than older Chevrolet models.

*Achieved during testing