Cruze CONTROL

The central console is among the best the industry has to offer and is only hampered by the plastic finish of the dashboard that really takes away from the clean sophistication of design. Even the most technologically challenged of first timers will not have to exert themselves to find their way around the excellent music system or adjust the air-conditioning. At dusk,the dials light up crisply in ice-blue with red pointers. The large steering wheel with cruise control and stereo controls have an ease of use to them and the dials have a three-pod look reminiscent of the classic Chevy chrome look.

Before you go looking for one you should know that the Cruze doesn’t come with a key hole. Instead,it has a keyless Passive Entry,Passive Start (PEPS) system. While many will marvel at the convenience of not having to go looking for the key hole in the dark,there is always an uncomfortable feeling of not having a fall back option to take care of any Murphy’s Law eventualities.

But the key does have its uses. When within range it allows the door handles to automatically unlock when pulled,while a touch sensor on the door handles locks the car. Once you’ve got the car door open and seated yourself inside,put the key away,press the Start/Stop button once,push down all the way on the clutch and press the same button a second time to see the car’s 2.0 VCDi Diesel spring to life.

Despite being diesel the 1991CC common rail four cylinder engine can hit 100KMPH in 9.6 seconds and does really cruise down the highway. However,be ready to take on a dodgy clutch,that requires you to press all the way down to elicit a response,and not so smooth gear changes. But the car still picks up impressively in any gear,both in city traffic and out on the open road.

The Indian Cruze benefited from the high-speed European environment for which it was designed and has a top-end performance that would put even many of its petrol powered competitors to shame. However,this also means it can be a bit of a gas guzzler. The turbo-lag calls for frequent gear-changes and greater throttle inputs which gives you a return of about 10 kmpl. Out on the highway,things improve with the car doing nearly 14 kmpl.

And,indeed,it is out on the highway where you can really get a feel for the Cruze. The car has no issues hitting 160-170 kmph and with a little more effort can even be taken up to 200 kmph. The car takes curves and bends beautifully and body roll is also at a minimum.

Straight-line stability,though decent,is hampered by a ridiculously light steering wheel which,while great in the city and for weaving through traffic,has the propensity to waver dangerously in the absence of a very firm hand. The car has excellent braking action and even at very high speeds there is very little drag. However,the detached and imprecise steering,by far its most disappointing feature,can make things a tad unsteady.
In the city,when speeds are lower,you find a prominent turbo lag below 1800 rpm which makes for a stiffer,bumpier ride. The Cruze demands open stretches to feel at home and can be a bit of a pain under the slow tight conditions of a traffic jam and you need to drive it for some time to overcome its idiosyncrasies.

Once you’ve managed that,the large wheels and ample suspension make for a rather comfortable drive and you can in fact cruise. The car is both comfortable and spacious. Bumps are heard rather than felt and there is plenty of head and knee space even for those in the backseat. The car allows three people to fit quite comfortably in the rear and provides a seat belt for each.
While they do have the slightly unkempt look of cost cutting to them,cubby holes in the doors and cup holders are well designed. The integrated audio system offers a six CD/MP3 player changer with a mounted smart screen and there is an AUX unit,though no USB port.

There can be no understating the importance of the Cruze to GM which is hoping the car,the first of its new-generation cars,will enable it to distance themselves from the ashes of the old company re-emerge at the centre stage of an industry where it has long been sidelined by Japanese giants Toyota and Honda. In India,it has pitted the Cruze against the Honda Civic,the VW Jetta,the Skoda Laura and the Toyota Corolla Altis and it doesn’t compare badly at all. It has by far the best diesel engine in the D segment and is aggressively priced at Rs 10.99 lakh for the LT variant and Rs 12.45 lakh for the LTZ variant which certainly makes it a competitive prospect.