On The Road: Sporting Up the Econo-Box

Chevrolet's best-selling vehicle - the Cruze LTZ - looks to claw back some of the competition with new updates and a bold sports sedan silhouette

Are you looking for an affordable compact sedan or is there a friend or family you would like to suggest one to? To help you out, this week, we test one from the "reasonably sized and reasonably priced" segment - one that sees mighty competition from the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus and so on, each fighting to earn the middle-class consumer's hard-earned dirham. However, the car in question today is the newly-updated 2016 Chevrolet Cruze.

Chevrolet goes back a long way. Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevy is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 nations and selling about five million vehicles a year, from fuel-efficient sub-compacts to sports cars to crossovers, SUVs and pickups. And its bestseller is none other than the Cruze. From its regional launch in 2011, Chevy has rolled out as many as three million units worldwide and earned 39 product awards. But, glory talk aside, is it the car for you? Let's find out.
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Spotting a Chevrolet Cruze is easy. The sharp bodylines, square-like pulled-back headlamps that sweep upward into the hood, and arching roof give it a sporty stance, which is rare in this economy-oriented segment.

The 2016 model comes with an updated front and rear fascia; the new grille design gives an insight into Chevrolet's next-generation vehicles. The chrome garnishes and the new boomerang-shaped chrome bezels, along with the strips of LED daytime running lights, take it away from its dinky-car design associations and make it a serious-looking car. And to add to it, the company's gold bow-tie emblem has been placed on the grille. The LEDs are so bright, you may catch yourself driving without remembering to switch the headlamps on!
The big change in the rear are the tail lamps; they are now large, dual square-type tail lamps matching other cars in the Chevrolet range, like the Malibu and Camaro. Adding to the dynamic appeal is a choice of newly designed 16" and 17" alloy wheels. Again, these are genuinely sporty elements you don't see too often in this segment. Alloy wheels, besides having the advantage of being lighter, reduce unsprung mass, which equates to better handling too.

Chevy offers a choice of 11 exterior paints to colour up the 4.6m body, including two kinds of red, a blue, a green and even a BMW-like brown.
The interior is among the largest in the category, but there is clear evidence of hard plastics, which Chevy has cleverly disguised with engaging cabin styling and details.
You'd think having instrument gauges in red, white and blue is smart detailing, considering this is an American car. except this car is made in Korea. The gauges also have chrome bezels to add some shine to them.
The big front seat adjustments and large degrees of rake and adjustments to the 3-spoke steering wheel make it dead easy for a driver to find a comfortable driving position.
On top of the centre-console is a dash-mounted cabinet to store stuff - and it comes with an aux-in and USB port to make things convenient. The air-con' vents have a unique combination, with vertical-oriented ones in the centre and circular vents closer to the doors. The centre stack gets a livid 7" full colour multimedia screen. The master button though, which is like that on an iPhone, is a bit unresponsive -unlike the on-screen buttons, which were quick to react.
Even as an affordable car, the top-spec LTZ variant comes with dual-tone leather upholstery in brown and black, a combination they call 'Saddle Up'. There is some contrast stitching to spruce it up a little. Leather makes it easy to maintain a relatively dust-free cabin and clean surfaces, in case a beverage is spilt. On the other hand, however, this leather doesn't come across as luxury; it is resilient, but not too smooth and supple.
The reality is that this is a compact sedan and you can't expect it to be a proper three-seater in the rear - though two adults and a kid would fit fine. The central floor tunnel is smallish and the bench is low, so you don't suffer from constricting headroom. Drop down the central armrest, if you don't have a middle passenger, and you get a couple of handy cup holders. Ladies, do note, the vanity mirror does not come illuminated, so you can forget about decking up late for work or a party. Then again, it's nothing a high-resolution selfie can't fix.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Under the sculpted hood of the 2016 Cruze, you'll find a potent 1.8L DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 138bhp and 176Nm of torque. It is matched to a not-so-common 6-speed automatic transmission. The cheaper, quicker and more fuel-efficient option is to opt for the 5-speed manual. But in these traffic-stricken roads, the competent auto-box should be your choice, in our opinion.
Being a front-wheel drive car there is slight torque steer observed with heavy application of the throttle. Fortunately, the Cruze has a throttle that is very eager, which makes it feel faster than the estimated 10-second ride to a 100km/h suggests. Autobahns of Germany are a far travel away, but 198km/h is something the 140 horses are very much capable of.
While negotiating corners and sweeping turns, the steering feel did come across as vague, but there is plenty of traction for dealing with daily duties. The robust Body Frame Integral system (BFI) of the Cruze ensures handling is fun and predictable. Yes, in this LTZ model, Chevy has tried to scale up the sense of luxury, but the economy car roots are resounding in the way the car rides. MacPherson struts utilised in the front suspension with a solid torsion beam axle at the rear do their best to draw a compromise between ride and handling, but eventually the ride falls somewhere between crashy and comfy.
Chevrolet claims a fuel economy of 7.8L/100km and that is average by segment standards, but frugal when compared to the rest of the auto industry. Having said that, modern turbocharged motors - even on high-performance cars like the Golf GTI - are capable of achieving better gas mileage and we are plenty sure this will be the direction all segments will be taking.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
It's not like the old days where the econo-box was boring and came with bare necessities. Today, even average-Joe cars like the Cruze come with more toys. For example, the LTZ has a 7" infotainment screen that is accompanied by Chevy's simple MyLink system, which has plenty of legible and responsive buttons for media. Getting your phone connected to the Bluetooth interface is easy-peasy, and this is something that big-time luxury manufacturers should learn from. Kudos, Chevy!
The air-conditioning is a single zone climate control unit, but it serves the purpose well. There is a sizeable boot at your disposal that can accommodate as much as 424 litres. There is added cargo flexibility in the form of 60:40 split-folding rear seats, which you can fold down for items that don't fit well in the boot.
The Cruze managed a perfect score in full-frontal and side crash tests carried out by the Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP). The suite of standard safety features includes side blind zone alert, a rear view camera, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control. In the event of an accident, it is also equipped with four standard front and side airbags that combine with a strong steel-enforced frame and Chevrolet's patented child safety system to ensure occupant safety.
The stereo is very average and it's going to be up to your favourite artist or song to move you musically. Luckily, the USB port and aux-in let you switch between your fave artists at the click of a button. The comprehensive aftersales package promises one-hour servicing, with a two-day advanced booking notice, of course. Also included in the package is a regional three-year/100,000km warranty and four years of regional 24x7 roadside assistance.
VERDICT
We are not going to kid around: Chevy's bestselling car has its reasons for being so. Sure, Toyota and Honda have their relentless arguments of quality and residual value, but this 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is for someone who wants to break away from the pack in style. The peppy performance and creature comforts make that decision even easier, we say.

• On The Road