Turbocharged highlight
The new Cruze will be powered by one of two four-cylinder engines. Although the base 1.8L 138 hp deserves some attention, it's the 1.4L turbocharged four-pot that has me salivating. Good for 140 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, this "little engine that can" will return up to 40 mpg on the highway, considerably better than the "OK" 2.2L Ecotec.
Taking it to the streets
The newborn Cruze has great genes. Based on the upcoming new Vauxhall Astra, the Cruze should do well in most driving situations. Granted, this is not a sporty car by any stretch of the imagination, however, Chevrolet reps used "fun to drive" as an opening descriptive of the car.
This would lead me to believe that the car will at least be as good a drive as the recently defunct Saturn Astra, which I believed to be a good drive in the least. Steering had been quite good on many recent Gms as have been brakes; I therefore expect nothing less of this World Car. The Europeans are well-known for their demanding driving needs and what's good for them should be above average for us. We shall see...
The Cruze
Already on sale in Europe, China, Australia (under the Holden brand), South Korea (as a Daewoo) and numerous other markets in the World, the Cruze sedan has been very well received. Most auto critics do not think that the Cruze will stick it to the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta, the Kia Cee'd or other popular compact cars but the product is a far cry from what they were used to. I for one am impressed with what I have seen and hope that the car will live up to expectations.
We won't however, be seeing the Cruze in GM's dealerships for a while as the compact-sized sedan's U.S. market launch is scheduled for the third quarter of 2010. This should coincide with the Canadian intro.
photo:Mathieu St-Pierre, Philippe Champoux
The new Cruze will be powered by one of two four-cylinder engines. Although the base 1.8L 138 hp deserves some attention, it's the 1.4L turbocharged four-pot that has me salivating. Good for 140 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, this "little engine that can" will return up to 40 mpg on the highway, considerably better than the "OK" 2.2L Ecotec.
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Taking it to the streets
The newborn Cruze has great genes. Based on the upcoming new Vauxhall Astra, the Cruze should do well in most driving situations. Granted, this is not a sporty car by any stretch of the imagination, however, Chevrolet reps used "fun to drive" as an opening descriptive of the car.
This would lead me to believe that the car will at least be as good a drive as the recently defunct Saturn Astra, which I believed to be a good drive in the least. Steering had been quite good on many recent Gms as have been brakes; I therefore expect nothing less of this World Car. The Europeans are well-known for their demanding driving needs and what's good for them should be above average for us. We shall see...
The Cruze
Already on sale in Europe, China, Australia (under the Holden brand), South Korea (as a Daewoo) and numerous other markets in the World, the Cruze sedan has been very well received. Most auto critics do not think that the Cruze will stick it to the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta, the Kia Cee'd or other popular compact cars but the product is a far cry from what they were used to. I for one am impressed with what I have seen and hope that the car will live up to expectations.
We won't however, be seeing the Cruze in GM's dealerships for a while as the compact-sized sedan's U.S. market launch is scheduled for the third quarter of 2010. This should coincide with the Canadian intro.
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photo:Mathieu St-Pierre, Philippe Champoux
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