Chevrolet

Cruze Saloon/Cruze Hachback/Sation Wagon

This compact four-door saloon/hatchback offers comfortable seating for five and is packed with excellent equipment levels throughout. The safety specifications on the Cruze are high and the distinctive looks help it stand out in a crowd.

Test Drive

Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon

Since launching its first Chevrolet Cruze model back in 2009, sales have been soaring and the family is finally complete with the long-awaited arrival of the Cruze Station Wagon.

Ideal for active families and economically competitive with rival models, the Cruze SW is available with a choice of engine types, three trim levels and, possibly most importantly, a starting price of £15,375.

With striking good looks combined with dynamic styling, the car looks great from any angle with its sloping roofline, smart alloys, neat light clusters and slim-line roof rails.

It has a real presence about it and that feel-good factor is just as apparent inside the cabin too with a very modern slant thanks to the part-woven dashboard and dual-cockpit design. The build quality cannot fail to impress and some of the styling would not be lost on a premium model costing double the price.

The entry level LS is available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and includes air conditioning, follow-me-home headlamps, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, front electric windows, remote central door locking and electronic boot release.

Move up the spec level to LT available on the 1.6-litre petrol, 1.8-litre petrol automatic or 1.7-litre diesel engines and you find the addition of cruise control, a leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors, electric rear windows, front fog lamps and 16-inch alloys.

The top-of-the-range LTZ NAV trim is only available on the 1.7-litre diesel model and introduces a seven-inch colour display screen, Bluetooth, sat nav, rain-sensing wipers, electronic climate control, a self-dimming mirror, automatic headlights, rear parking sensors with rear view camera and 17-inch alloys.

Another feature well worth mentioning is Chevrolet’s latest infotainment system called MyLink which brings smart phone capabilities into the vehicle.

This is achieved via a USB connection or Bluetooth for mass storage devices such as MP3 players, iPods and iPads etc.

There is also a dedicated plug-in outlet for personal music devices too which basically means if you’ve got a media device that you want to hook up to your car, the Cruze SW is more than capable.

And when the vehicle is stationary, you can even play back videos and personalised slide shows from your devices.

But gadgets and technical know-how aside, Chevrolet is hoping the car will attract plenty of attention from family drivers and with its spacious cabin and generous load capacity, it is very tempting.

Five adults can travel in comfort and the storage load of 500 litres can easily be increased to 1,478 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

And there are numerous smaller storage options throughout the vehicle such as an unusually positioned tray with three compartments between the rear seatbacks and the luggage cover, an illuminated two-tiered glove-box, a small covered tray at the top of the dashboard, door pockets and a bin between the front seats.

Chevrolet believes the 1.7-litre diesel model in LT trim priced at £18,925 will be the biggest crowd-pleaser, so that was the car to test out and it lived up to the big build-up.

The spacious interior is comfortable with dials that are ideally positioned and easy-to-read thanks to Chevrolet’s trademark ice-blue backlighting.

Equipped with stop/start technology this model achieves impressive fuel efficiency with a combined figure of approximately 62.8mpg and emissions of just 119/km.

Yet, performance has not been compromised for economy and the car boasts stats of 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds with a top speed of 124mph.

There may be faster estate models out there, but this engine is the most frugal to power a Cruze model to date and with fuel costs soaring that is a vital factor.

The six-speed manual gearbox proved smooth and responsive and having that sixth gear is always a bonus – too many high powered cars are sold with just five these days.

Despite pretty wet driving conditions, the Cruze SW hugged the road and cornering tight bends at pace was no problem either.

The cabin has been well insulated to keep out any engine or road surface noise, although at higher speeds the engine sounds did rumble through a little. But with all those multi-media options, that shouldn’t be a problem!

Chevrolet has packed plenty of top notch safety features into the model which, like its Cruze siblings, is expected to be awarded the top mark of five stars in the Euro NCAP safety ratings.

These features include anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, front and rear crush zones that collapse in a controlled manner, electronic stability control, traction control and six airbags as standard.

Clearly Chevrolet wanted to continue the success story that is the Cruze model and the station wagon is a perfect addition to the range and will certainly strengthen the brand’s fan base.

Test Drive

Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet caused quite a stir when it launched its award-winning Cruze model and now the new five-door hatchback is likely to be greeted with similar accolades.

With its eye-catching design, smart technology and great handling, this vehicle seems to have it all and even the price tag will keep you on good terms with your bank manager.

In a day and age when buyers want to see value for money, the Cruze hatchback ticks all the boxes.

First impressions are pretty good with its sporty lines, neat light clusters and split radiator grille with the Chevrolet emblem sitting proudly in the middle. There’s smart alloys, body-coloured door mirrors and an attractive sleek rear end.

And the quality is just as apparent inside too. Many vehicles these days are packed to bursting with plastic materials that look cheap and tacky and cause quite bad glare issues on a bright, sunny day. And although the Cruze has a part plastic dashboard there is a snazzy textile section too which really contrasts well.

It’s deceptively spacious and can easily accommodate four adults – five at a bit of a squeeze and there is no limitations on luggage either as the vehicle boasts a generously-sized boot with the option of further increasing capacity thanks to split-folding rear seats.

Elsewhere there are a number of smaller storage areas throughout the cabin.

Despite its rather simplistic design, the dials, controls and read-outs are perfectly positioned for driver usability and there’s plenty of creature comforts as standard too.

And with a range of engine sizes, fuel choices and trim levels, there’s plenty of choice on offer.

Chevrolet believes its mid-trim 1.6-litre petrol-powered LT model will prove the most popular, and priced at £14,895, it’s pretty clear to see why even though the bottom-of-the-range LS is even cheaper at a tad under the £14k mark.

The LT model features cruise control, parking distance sensors, a leather multi-function steering wheel, a good audio system with plenty of modern device compatibility, electric windows, follow-me-home headlights and plenty more besides.

The spec increases further on the top-of-the-range LTZ models with the introduction of Bluetooth technology, rain-sensing wipers, larger alloys, automatic headlights and there is also a further Executive Pack option available which introduces leather trim as standard along with sat nav and heated seats.

The 1.6 LT version is extremely good value and it handles pretty well too. Comfort levels were very good even on rougher road surfaces and cabin noise was fairly quiet.

My only real complaints were the slightly obstructed rear view mirror visibility due to headrests on the three rear seats and a slight dip in power when shifting through fourth to fifth gears.

But those slight gripes aside, the vehicle handled very well.

However, if you are looking for that little bit more power and acceleration, the 1.8-litre petrol-powered model could be the ideal choice at £16,095. There was definitely no sluggish behaviour with this model and generally the all-round handling seemed a little more refined. The five-speed manual transmission was smooth and responsive and there was certainly no let-up in power on this model

But for me, the real cream of the crop was the mighty 2.0-litre, diesel-powered LTZ automatic model. This daddy of the bunch cruised with ease round sharp bends and just loved to show off its credentials alongside faster moving traffic. The six-speed automatic transmission was very smooth and acceleration deceptively fast. Admittedly, it rakes up the price to £18,795, but in my opinion, it’s worth saving a little longer for this particular model. And being the LTZ model, it came with all those additional bells and whistles.

As one would expect, Chevrolet has fitted the Cruze hatchback with a comprehensive list of safety features, including a high strength safety frame, six airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability control and traction control as standard.

All in all, the Cruze hatchback is great fun, excellent value for money and comes with plenty of choice.

So, it would seem Chevrolet can sit back now and wait for the awards to arrive.