Cruze in control

MANILA, Philippines - On Friday, February 26, The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), will unveil the new Chevrolet Cruze, a compact sedan that replaces the aging Chevrolet Optra. The country’s official distributor of Chevrolet vehicles handed over to The Philippine STAR the keys to a Chevrolet Cruze test unit a full two weeks before the scheduled launch and so we give you an exclusive sneak peek at Chevrolet’s new offering here and now – two days before its public unveiling. So even before you get to view it in any Chevrolet showroom, much less read about it in any other broadsheet, here’s what we thought of the new Chevrolet Cruze…

First off, the car looks absolutely stunning. Leaving no stone unturned to develop a car that ascribes to what they call “a new global design language for the Chevrolet brand”, Chevrolet tasked a multi-national design team with members from Germany, the United States and Australia to design an all-new compact sedan that aims to re-energize the Chevrolet brand.

The result is the Chevrolet Cruze, a compact sedan that comes off as confident and brash with its arching roofline and well-planted close-to-the-ground stance. Most striking, however, is the car’s signature (at least from here on in) dual-port grille that carries the renowned gold bowtie. Coupled with aggressive headlamp housings, it gives the Chevrolet Cruze the kind first impression impact that is sure to capture more than its fair share of fans and admirers.

Distinctive concave shoulder lines then run through the sides of the Cruze and into the rear deck to reveal a soundly designed pair of twin tail lamp clusters. The car looks upscale and confident as a result. “Our goal was to be revolutionary, not evolutionary,” reasons Taewan Kim, VP of the GM DAT Center in Korea, which served as the home base of the international design team that put together the Chevrolet Cruze.

Now, if the Chevrolet Cruze’s strong exterior character lines don’t immediately capture you, its harmonious interior will. The highlight is the “twin cockpit” layout of the dash. Akin to that of the iconic Corvette, the main instrument panel captures the car’s driver immediately. Backlit by LED for clear crisp illumination in striking white and ice blue, it is a delight for the eyes. The top-end LT variant we drove has a dual-zone automatic climate control system that is housed in one of the most sound integrated center stacks we’ve seen in a car of this class. An audio system with radio, six-CD in-dash and USB and auxiliary inputs rounds out the center stack experience even as tasteful leather upholstery comes standard (at least in the aforementioned LT variant).

A couple of questionable calls, however, include the non-traditional fuel gauge configuration (it rotates clockwise going from the three o’clock position to the nine o’clock position) and the on-board consumption meter, which gives the miles per gallon numbers instead of the more globally-accepted kilometers per liter. We were told by TCCCI officials that this function can be adjusted, though our fiddling proved fruitless. Otherwise, the instrumentation is idiot proof and aesthetically sound.

One of Chevrolet’s main strengths is the area of structural design. The Cruze is no exception on this front. With a torsional rigidity that is 140% greater than that of the Optra’s, the Chevrolet Cruze is able to suppress noise, vibration and harshness levels (NVH) to astounding degrees. The car’s combination of occupant protection features has reportedly earned for it a five star mark in Euro NCAP’s overall rating (the European New Car Assessment Programme conducts independent evaluation on safety performance). So while we didn’t bother to test the car’s safety features, we take heart in the fact that previous crash tests have solidified the Chevrolet Cruze’s safety reputation in areas where it was previously launched.

The Chevrolet Cruze is powered by a 1.8-liter petrol engine with variable valve timing. The test unit we drove had a smooth shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox though TCCCI says that there is a 5-speed manual transmission variant to be made available as well. Rated at 141hp@6,200rpm with peak torque of 176Nm@3,00rpm, the engine kind of lacks a sense of urgency. Lack of outright pulling power notwithstanding, we’d say the car wasn’t built to burn rubber, to begin with – at least not the variant that’s being set loose on our streets. By our computations, it produced one of the more decent fuel efficiency numbers in its class at around 9 km/l.

More importantly, it was able to live up to our expectations as far as ride comfort is concerned. The Chevrolet Cruze has both a wider footprint (up to 64mm up front and 78mm in the back) and wheelbase (85mm) than its predecessor (seating configuration is necessarily improved). It’s got a handsome 215/50/17 rim tire combination to go with this set up. As such, it feels more connected to the road than the Chevrolet Optra. And while it features the standard McPherson struts up front, its suspension is improved via a unique torsion beam at the rear. The car’s all wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control and EBD provide ample stopping power while the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system that comes standard helps in avoiding hairy situations should the driver require it. We actually applaud Chevrolet for including the ESC feature in the Chevrolet Cruze as it is one advancement that definitely improves safety and is not readily available in cars of this class and price range. The car also has standard rear back up sensors. Finally, the hydraulically assisted rack and pinion steering of the Chevrolet Cruze provides spot-on feel of the road – never too wallowy nor too harsh.

Is the Chevrolet Cruze the car that will give the Chevrolet brand the shot in the arm that it needs? Call us optimists but we really think so. It is without a doubt more than a few steps up from the variant it replaces – both aesthetically and performance-wise. And at P1,048,888 for the top-end LT variant and an entry price of P808,000 for the entry level L variant, it’s priced very competitively. As a product, it definitely has what it takes. The key for Chevrolet, however, is to have parts and service availability raised to a level where buyers are actually confident of not just their initial purchase, but also of their ownership experience. That part of the job is entirely up to TCCCI and its dealership network. For the benefit of Chevrolet fans and the car industry in general, we’re rooting for them too.

THE GOOD

• Striking exterior design

• Even better interior design

• Much improved ride comfort

• Notable fuel economy numbers

• Above average ride comfort

THE BAD

• Questionable calls on some of the instrumentation

• Could use a few more horses underneath the hood

THE VERDICT

• The Chevrolet Cruze is several steps up from the model it replaces – in practically every department. It is bound to make its way to more than just a few garages.