The very cool Chevrolet Cruze

MANILA, Philippines - EDITOR’S NOTE: While we do take pride the capabilities of our regular automotive writers, we’ve also noticed that we seem to lack that practical, feminine touch. Often we’re technical and incisive to a fault. Which is all good for car geeks like us but might seem alienating to others who might not give a hoot about say… horsepower ratings. To address this, we shopped around for someone who does not live and breathe cars, but who nonetheless sees them as essential tools and companions for everyday life – a practical person with practical insights, in other words. We’re glad to have found Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo. Ria has written for The STAR in the past as a guest columnist. This time around, she joins the STAR Motoring team as its most practical and level headed (and without a doubt best looking) member. An established media personality (she co-anchors one of the country’s most watched news programs), a loving wife and mother and an all-around practical and intelligent modern woman, we’re confident she can reach out to those among you who seek a warmer, more personal take on car reviews. We introduced her recently to several car manufacturers and while many were stumbling to get first dibs on her first test drive, it was Chevrolet that won out. Here’s Ria’s take on the spanking new Chevrolet Cruze…

Chevrolet’s latest baby is the Cruze. It might be classified as a “compact sedan” but in the four days I had to test drive one (the 1.8L ECOTEC LT variant) I discovered, it really is a lot more than that.

Its sporty, low to the ground look and sleek, sculpted lines are what first catch your attention. I like the dual-port grille in front too although my appreciation really piqued when I got in the driver’s seat. The dashboard has a stylish two-toned, retro-chic design. The instrument gauges have a chrome trim and come to life with an icy blue LED backlight. The seats are leather, giving the interiors a sense of luxury without pretension. Its sound system comes with audio controls mounted on the steering wheel, a 6-disc CD changer, a built-in USB port and auxiliary connection so you can sound trip through the city’s gridlock with the greatest ease (and without ever having to repeat a track).

The car’s much ballyhooed 375-liter trunk capacity doesn’t disappoint either. We threw some big sports bags, a stroller, 2 large remote controlled toy cars, a couple of kites and some random groceries in there and there was lots of room to spare.

The Cruze’s acoustics are well designed. For all its sportiness, the car’s cabin is very quiet. Noise and vibration are kept at an absolute minimum.

But how is the Cruze on the road, you ask. Very sturdy. I pushed her to about 120kph on the highway and didn’t feel the slightest shake or quiver. She was steady and totally in control at high speed. If there was a time it seemed like the car had to put some real effort in to the drive, it was during acceleration on some steep inclines. I suppose that can be explained by the fact that the Cruze is the heaviest of all the cars in its class – something I appreciate because you don’t feel like you’re tooling around in a beer can.

According to its manufacturers, the Cruze averages about 9km on every liter of gas on a combination of city and highway driving. I would think perhaps a bit less of you are negotiating small hills and inclines.

Among the other nifty details that Chevy has thrown in for the Cruze are its flip style car key that has a remote trunk opener, headlights that automatically switch off when you turn off the engine. (Forget those bleeping noises that remind you to do it yourself!) I also liked that the seat adjustment levers aren’t the run-of-the-mill cold metal bars but rather, more pleasant-to-the-touch, rounded handles.

The Chevy Cruze comes in eight different colors and four variants – all of which have 1.8 liter engines. Its price tag has a reasonable range. The variants cost from P808,888 for the manual transmission to P1,048,888 for the automatic. And as with all Chevrolets, the Cruze comes with a three-year warranty.