If there’s one way forward for General Motors out of the whole recall-related public relations debacle, it’s decent product. Forget trying to fix corporate culture, forget management restructuring, forget accountability audits and road maps to synergy. Instead, simply build the cars that people want to buy and build them well.
To that end, while it’s fun to see the Camaro Z/28 scorch around the Nürburgring or prepare to watch the upcoming Corvette Z06 kick the absolute bejesus out of supercars costing three times as much, it’s far more important that Chevrolet’s passenger cars are solid and strong-selling. In the Canadian market, that means the small car segment.
Since its introduction in 2008, the Cruze has done well, winning over Canadian families with big car space in a small-car package. For 2014, Chevrolet has introduced a unique drivetrain into their global car — a 2.0L diesel engine. We haven’t seen diesel in a GM passenger car in decades, and the last time we did it wasn’t exactly a good thing. So, does the Cruze Diesel have enough torque to get traction in the market?
Design
Conservative nearly to a fault, the Cruze has a design that’s aged well, unlike some of its flashier stablemates. While the front fascia is dominated by a large, bowtie-branded grille, it’s not shouty at all.
Diesel-equipped Cruzes come in a single trim, very well-equipped, which means you get standard 17” alloys and a bit of brightwork around the windows. In a darker colour, as with this week’s tester, the most striking thing is just how big the small car has got. The Cruze is now essentially the same dimensions as the old Impala.
There’s a slight flavour of Impala to the rear taillights as well, but if you find some of the other small car options in the market a bit on the outlandish side, the Cruze should fit nicely in your driveway. It’s the equivalent of a nice dark grey pair of trousers that go with everything.
Environment
Inside, the Cruze is less trousers than it is cargo shorts. Despite being classified as a compact, there’s a surprising amount of room inside, both in front and out back. Taller drivers will like the depth to which you can lower the seat, and even with it set to fit a larger driver up front, rear seat passengers still have plenty of room.
I’m of two minds about the dash treatment, which incorporates a swathe of mesh-look fabric to complement the black and silver motif. On one hand, it looks rather nice. On the other hand, I have some reservations about how well it’ll hold up to use, particularly when kids are involved.
But other than that, the Cruze has a nicely laid-out cabin that’s roomy, with decent sightlines. Being a higher-end model, everything in the diesel model that you expect to be covered in leather is, and the trunk is plenty huge. If you were looking for a machine with which to cross huge tracts of land, this’d appear to be the right sort of beast of burden.
Performance
The single splash of colour on the rear of this week’s Cruze was a small green badge with a 2.0 symbol on it. That means that under the hood of this conservative-looking little sedan is its party piece: a 2.0L turbodiesel engine cranking out 151 hp at 4000rpm and 264lb/ft of torque at 2000rpm.
That’s considerably more pep and grunt than you get with the next most powerful engine on offer, a 1.4L gasoline-fuelled turbo four-cylinder. This is mated to a six-speed automatic, the only transmission on offer.
If you’re expecting a barn-burner, this isn’t that sort of car. While the Cruze Diesel puts out figures that pip everything else on offer, the transmission and the throttle response are most definitely programmed for clean-running economy.
However, mine the torque a bit and the sprightly chassis responds well. This is an ideal Trans-Canada warrior, built to haul up the mountain passes and then cruise on through the flat sections — no pun intended. There’s even a brief overboost function if you need to get around a semi-trailer or up a particularly steep section, with torque rising to 280lb/ft.
Where the Cruze offers its best performance is in fuel economy. Not unlike VW’s TDI range of engines, the only competitor in this entry segment, the diesel Cruze is one of the few vehicles that hits its official fuel economy ratings in real-world driving, even under the highly optimistic 2014 2-cycle testing. Observed highway mileage dipped below the 5L/100km mark, where the Cruze really excels. Shorter commutes don’t work as well with diesels, but for long distance travel, this car excels.
Features:
Very well equipped from standard, the Cruze can be optioned with a host of features to make long distance travel that much more enjoyable. Chevy’s MyLink navigation system, based around a seven-inch touchscreen, is easy to use and connects easily to your smartphone.
A nine-speaker, 250-Watt Pioneer audio system is optional, as is a power moonroof and backup sensors, but the rearview camera is standard. The enhanced safety package contains a suite of drivers’ aids that can be found across almost the entirety of the Chevy range, including blind spot alert and cross-traffic alert.
Official fuel economy ratings under the old system are 8.7L/100km in the city and 5.1L/100km on the highway, under the new 5-cycle testing. In the real world, the Cruze can best these figures
Green Light
Excellent fuel economy; roomy cabin; easy to use infotainment.
Stop Sign
Exterior getting a little dated; transmission and throttle slightly sluggish; only available in higher trim.
The Checkered Flag
A small car fit for cruising long distances. Load up the Tom Cochrane and hit the highway.
