Appearing soon after General Motors announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Cruze – which launched in Oz almost two years ago– aims to appeal to buyers that would normally not buy a Holden. Its key competitors in the Australian market are the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and the (European) Ford Focus.

With the recent launch of the Aussie-built Cruze Series II, we thought it was about time we tackled GM’s “game changing” small car. The 1.4 L turbo is said to be the cherry on top of the Cruze cake, and the perfect target for a review. The question is: can it live up to the hype? Read on…

Overview

The SRI-V is the kingpin of the Cruze Series II range. Fitted with the new-to-Oz turbocharged 1.4 iTi donk producing 103kW and 200Nm (138HP and 147.5 lb-ft), an improved chassis and a Watts link performance suspension, the SRI models set out to be the sports-flavoured icing on the Cruze cake.

The 17-inch five-spoke alloys, sports body kit and bootlid spoiler help establish the SRI and SRI-V as the Commodore SV6’s little brother. It also has a unique grille design to further differentiate it from the “beiger” members of the Cruze family.

With a recommended retail price of AU$27,990 (plus AU$2,000 for the 6spd auto), the Cruze SRI-V is positioned against the Toyota Corolla Ultima, Mazda3 Maxx Sport and Ford Focus Zetec. Even against this stiff competition, the Cruze is better equipped than all three and on par with the Corolla and Focus in terms of performance.

Inside Scoop

As is befitting the range-topper, the SRI-V is very well equipped with heated front seats, leather-galore, satellite navigation, reverse parking sensors and auto-headlights. The air conditioning is “semi-automatic” in what I assume is a concession to not having climate control. It’s all very easy to use and intuitive as you would expect.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Holden iQ-esque information display and radio controls. Though I’d like to think that I’m pretty tech-savvy, the only features I found to be obvious were the volume and station selection knobs.

And although there’s a full-size spare in the boot (albeit as a cost-option) it doesn’t match the 17-inch alloys. Speaking of the boot, it’s very deep but the aperture is very small. Good luck getting a decent sized suitcase in there without scraping the lip. On the plus side, the seats are wide and supportive, and the steering wheel is comfortable to grip. It’s time to hit the streets and see how the Cruze performs….

On The Road

On the highway, the Holden Cruze is in its element. It’s a quiet, comfortable cruiser (or Cruze-r if you’re in the mood for puns) and is happy to strum along at 2,000 rpm. In suburban areas, the 6spd automatic gearbox begins to struggling, almost randomly shifting up and down on hills. Another disappointment is the steering, which manages to be both too light and too doughy and makes cornering above 40 km/h a bit touch-and-go.

On the plus side, there’s not much turbo lag and it only becomes apparent when you jam your foot down – which you’ll never need to do, as the 1.4 L turbo accelerates like a real champ.

A big person like me has to sit down low in the Cruze, and the narrow side-windows and steeply raked windscreen can be a bit claustrophobic at times. Still, it gives the Cruze an air of sportiness on the outside and inside makes you feel somewhat secure. My only other qualm was the auto headlights, which have a tendency to come on when the sun goes behind a cloud. Not intolerable, but not good either.

The Final Word

In summary, the Holden Cruze SRI-V is a good all-rounder and worthy contender for the small car crown. Though not as roomy as its competition, it more than makes up for this with pep, creature comforts and its easy-going attitude on the open road.

Tighter steering, a larger boot aperture and a less complicated radio / navigation setup would have made the Cruze all the more better; these are lessons its bigger brother (the Commodore) would be more than willing to teach.

With the 1.4 L turbo, Holden has given the small sedan a much needed boost of power that should make it appealing to many buyers. Its well-equipped, comfortable and a pleasant drive. Not exactly sporting, but more than capable.

By Tristan Hankins

*All photos copyright Tristan Hankins / Carscoop

Quick Specs

Model:

2011 Holden Cruze Series II SRI-V

Engine:

1.4 litre DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder iTi turbo petrolPower: 103kW @ 4900 rpmTorque: 200 Nm 1850-4900 rpm

Fuel economy (ADR 81/01):

6.4 litres/100km (1.4L petrol manual)6.9 litres/100km (1.4L petrol automatic)

Emissions:

CO2 emission levels (1.4L petrol manual): 153g/km (4.5 GVG rating)CO2 emission levels (1.4L petrol automatic): 164 g/km (4.0 GVG rating)

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