It’s an affordable family car that delivers excellent performance and a smooth ride.
The front fascia has been redesigned to look sleek with a swept back styling and yet slightly elongated nose that lends the car a more distinguished appearance.
The Cruze offers a modern, powerful 1.6L or 1.8L engine boasting up to 104kW. There’s also a 6-speed 2.0L diesel engine delivering 120kW.
All of them offer good acceleration as well as fuel efficiency. The 2.0 LT petrol model has a silky smooth 6-speed manual transmission.
The redesigned front bumper features larger air intakes for improved cooling efficiency and revised fog lamps.
Additionally, the facelifted Cruze comes with a redesigned 16-inch alloy wheels.
Ok, the only snag which caused some uneasiness was when the gear kept tilting something unusual during the test drive. Perhaps one could have been warned about that unfamiliar feature but alas not!
Not your typical head-turner but it’s efficient when coming to petrol economy wise. It uses the same old engine and transmission as before – a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder powerplant producing 140hp and 176Nm of torque.
Another worth mentioning feature is the boot, considering its festive season and everyone would be embarking on long journey’s throughout the country. It could easily accommodate four goats and a couple of Johnny Walker boxes, stru!
An unprecedented range of ride-defining features, with the latest active safety features come standard in the Chevrolet Cruze sedan. All of this makes it truly one of the best family cars on the C-market.
The Cruze is equipped with a USB port in the central compartment. Owners will now be able to listen to their favourite tunes on the move with the increased connectivity that allows MP3 players and pendrives to be hooked up via Bluetooth to the head unit.
It offers airbags, an ABS system and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) working through all-around disc brakes as well as a front and rear crumple zones. A push-start button and cruise control are standard.
The interior comfort is boosted with a new mixture of leather and fabric for the seats.
Despite the facelifts, the C-segment Cruze is priced R 201,800.
Verdict:
1-10 (Petrol) 7
1-10(Performance) 5
