At last, GM fields a compact sedan to be taken seriouslyBy Jeremy Sinek, MSN Autos - This is not a new game for GM. The automaker has been selling compact cars for decades, and not just through its Opel brand in Europe, where almost all its cars are small cars. Heck, for seven straight years in the '90s the supremely adequate Chevrolet Cavalier was the best-selling car in Canada.
What is new is the attitude. For too long, Detroit treated small cars as un-American, but a necessary evil. Automakers needed them to help meet American Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, but they weren't worth putting too much effort into. The Cavalier sold well despite its mediocrity.
Much has changed. The humbling of Wall Street has made "econoboxes" more attractive to insecure Americans. Steep rises in fuel-economy standards are looming. And Chevrolet - good-ol'-boy, American-as-apple-pie Chevrolet - is now a major international player. It's the number-four selling brand in the world, and more than 60 per cent of those sales are outside the U.S.
Now the attitude is, "play to win or go home," says Chuck Russell, vehicle line director for the new Chevrolet Cruze. "Everybody wants to work on a car that's a winner."
Already well-proven around the world
Replacing the Cobalt (and its Pontiac G5 twin) in GM's U.S./Canadian line-up, the Cruze is nothing if not international. It made its sales debut nearly two years ago in Korea, and is already on sale in 60 countries. Now GM's plant in Lordstown, Ohio, is ready to build the Cruze for North American consumption, running three shifts right from the get-go.
If Cruze is a little late coming to our continent, its launch here does mark the world debut of an important new engine. Thanks to the power of turbocharging, a mere 1.4-litre four-banger, coupled with six-speed transmissions, promises competitive power (138 hp estimated, at only 4,900 rpm) with class-leading torque (148 lb.-ft. across almost the entire rev range) and exceptional fuel economy.
All this, in a car that is physically larger than anything else in the compact class. GM is pitching the Cruze as "a compact car with an upscale presence."
To put the 1.4's outputs into perspective, the base engine (Cruze LS) is a conventional 1.8-litre unit that generates two fewer horsepower (136, and at much higher rpm) and 25 fewer pound-feet of torque (123 lb.-ft. at 3,800 rpm). The Honda Civic, which is Cruze's main targt, presently rates 138 hp and 128 lb.-ft. of torque.
Keeping something up its sleeve
Both Cruze engines feature dual continuously-variable camshaft timing, but surprisingly, neither engine features that other increasingly common fuel-saving technology, direct injection. Presumably, with present targets already achieved, GM is keeping that up its sleeve to meet future challenges. Don't be surprised to see a dual-clutch transmission in the mix one day, too.
Unlike in the U.S., the Cruze LS will be sold in Canada without air conditioning, which brings our base price down to a keen $14,995. Standard stuff will still include trip computer, power windows and remote keyless power locking, plus the most safety gear in its class, including 10 airbags, ABS, and stability control. Available manual or automatic transmissions are both six-speeds.
Three other trim grades are all powered by the 1.4 turbo. Two of these, LT ($19,495) and LTZ ($24,780), come only with automatic transmission. The third, arriving later in the year, is the Eco model that achieves segment-busting fuel economy with a special wide-ratio manual transmission (the 6AT is optional). Extensive aerodynamic tweaks, which lower the drag rating to 0.298 from 0.324, and low-rolling-resistance tires also help the Eco achieve a projected segment-best 5.0 L/100 km highway fuel figure.
Expensive hardware for an affordable car
Underpinning it all is the latest version of GM's Delta architecture, which also supports the recently re-invented Opel Astra in Europe. Russell says GM didn't cheap out in the suspension department for our version. For example, our Cruze shares the Astra's Z-link back suspension, which adds a unique Watts linkage to the torsion-beam suspension, a semi-independent design that is otherwise pretty much an industry standard in small cars. In Europe, the Cruze has a plain torsion beam.
As well, the Eco has forged aluminum wheels, which cost more than cast ones but save 2.5 kg per wheel. And, according to Russell, GM "paid a pretty penny" for supplier ZF's version of electric power steering assist, which acts directly on the steering rack for better feel, he says, than other systems that act on the top of the steering column.
GM's pursuit of an upscale presence seems justified by the exterior's clean, tautly sculpted exterior, and even more so by the interior, which really looks like a refugee from a $40,000 luxury car. Even our mid-level LT test car sported fabric inserts on the dashboard plus a pleasing blend of piano-black and "aluminum" trim, all neatly applied; the only jarring note, a slightly misaligned glove-box lid.
Beanpoles welcome inside
There's a vast range of at-the-wheel adjustability; even a six-and-a-half-foot-plus journalist declared himself adequately housed. My more average frame was able to achieve a sporty long-arm/straight-leg posture while still enjoying a good view over the cowl, with minimal obstruction from the a-posts. The only real ergonomic grouse: gauges that need to be more crisply displayed, especially given the way sunlight can reflect off the covering pane and the gauges' bright bezels.
With overall interior volume of 110 cubic feet the Cruze is actually on the threshold of midsize roominess, according to the U.S. EPA classification system. That 110 is the sum of 15.4 cu. ft. (436 L) of square, regular trunk room, bested among compacts only by the VW Jetta and Suzuki SX4; and 94.6 "cubes" (2,677 L) of cabin room, which beats Civic and Corolla but falls short of Sentra and Elantra. Sitting behind the driver's seat adjusted to my driving position, I found rear-seat knee-room a little disappointing given the Cruze's exterior length, though the seat is nicely reclined and sculpted for comfort.
For all its quoted torque, the turbo models display some launch lag on the road, the engine only coming on strong at about 2,500 rpm. Even so, Chevrolet claims a 0-96 km/h time of 9.1 seconds, faster than automatic-equipped Civic or Corolla models. With manual transmission, though, both rivals are quicker than the 10.0 seconds cited for both the LS and the Eco with the manual box.
A quiet car is a quality car, GM believes
No argument, though, about the quietness of the Cruze 1.4T, even if the quality of what little you do hear is rather thrashy. Cruising is also an aurally serene experience on all except the coarsest pavement. Nor did we find any surfaces degraded enough to shake the conmposure of the suspension.
Plagued by slow traffic and construction, our drive route revealed little about the Cruze's handling other than that it feels planted and sure-footed. Steering response is better than Corolla's, but the Civic's unusually direct steering makes it feel nimbler than the Chevy.
All things considered, the Cruze arguably is the class of its class right now. But with redesigns of several key competitors imminent, will the Chevrolet be leap-frogged by the improving opposition? Possibly. Then again, the days are gone when GM dumped a new small car on the market and then left it to fend for itself. Going forward, Russell says, GM is ready and expecting to upgrade and improve the Cruze on a frequent basis.
Game on.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze LS
- Price: $14,995
- Type of vehicle: Compact FWD sedan
- Engine: 1.8-litre, DOHC, 16-valve I-4
- Power/Torque: 136 hp/123 lb.-ft.
- Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic
- 0-100 km/h: 10.5 seconds (est.)
- Fuel consumption: TBA
- Competition: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elentra, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta
2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT/LTZ/Eco
- Price: $19,495 - $24,780
- Type of vehicle: FWD compact sedan
- Engine: 1.4-litre, DOHC, 16-valve, I-4 turbocharged
- Power/Torque: 138 hp/148 lb.-ft.
- Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic
- 0-100 km/h: 9.5 sec (est.); Eco, 10.5 sec (est.)
- Fuel consumption: TBA
- Competition: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta
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