1 April 2011
New car report: Holden Cruze now built by Holden
We’ve always liked the look of the Holden Cruze. From day one the attractive well-balanced lines, functional, stylish interior and that “little car that looks like a big one” kind of visual aspect ensured the Cruze appealed to a wide range of buyers, both male and female. As a consequence, it has been quite a success in the showroom too, with Holden having retailed around 2,500 of them in New Zealand to date.
But when we first tested it at its launch back in 2009, we were somewhat underwhelmed by the pace of the petrol-powered models and felt that with a 1.8 litre capacity, it should have performed better than it did. However, despite our own misgivings, around three quarters of those 2,500 buyers have opted for this powerplant.
Also, at the time, there were limitations around which model could be had with which engine and transmission combination, kind of like the TV ad that tells us we can only buy a newspaper with bread and eggs, but if you want milk you can’t have it with bacon or cheese – or something like that. Suffice to say it was hard to select a model that would tick all the boxes we’d have liked.
Thumbs up to Aussie engineers
Most of those early criticisms were addressed along the way, and now with the introduction of the new Aussie built Series II Cruze, there are options galore and a delightful new turbo-charged 1.4 litre iTi petrol engine. Also new to the range are a couple of new sporty styled models as well as an upgraded diesel engine – now of course available in CDX level spec, as it has been for some time. The Aussie engineers have also made some worthwhile subtle styling tweaks.
Australian production kicked off this month and New Zealand customers will now be getting cars sourced from the Elizabeth plant in South Australia, rather than the fully built up Korean assembled models we had before. Engineers completed over 350,000km of test kilometres in Australia before the Cruze was deemed production-ready for Australasian consumers.
While there was understandably a fair amount of patriotic flag waving going on at the recent media launch in Melbourne where Holden has its head office, there are some genuine, tangible reasons why buyers on both sides of the Tasman should consider the new Aussie-built Cruze.
Apart from the styling changes that are unique to Australian models, 1.4 litre models are now treated to an electric power steering arrangement, improved sound insulation and a new Watts link rear suspension set-up improving handling and providing further refinement, reducing NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels.
There's now a vast array of model options and a wider choice of engine and transmission combinations.
Most notably, the European sourced 1.4 litre turbo-charged DOHC which produces 103kW of power at 4,900 rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,850 rpm, mated to optional six speed manual or six speed automatic ‘boxes, transforms the Cruze from being among the small/medium sized car pack to one that stretches its nose out in front among the leaders.
Six forward gears for all but entry level 1.8 petrol manual
Diesel models consume 5.6L/100km and 6.7L/100km for manual and auto respectively, while the 1.4 iTi uses 6.4L/100km and 6.9L/100km and the 1.8 is quoted as consuming 7.0L/100km for manual and 7.4L/100km for the auto.
The new diesel engine puts out 120kW at 3,800 rpm and 360Nm at 1,750, while the 1.8 petrol produces 104kW at 6,200 rpm and 176Nm at 1,750 rpm.
We also now get two new sporty looking models in the form of an SRi and top spec SRi-V. Holden execs make no unrealistic claims, admitting that the SRi and SRi-V models are not high performance hotrods, but the subtle body kit and body treatments add a sporty appeal.
Equipment levels are impressive with one glaring omission; there’s no buetooth – not even in the SRi-V, despite the top of the line version getting keyless entry and start, a premium audio system with a 7 inch LCD screen, Sat Nav and a DVD player which will display when the car is stationery.
Rarely are we impressed with claimed new features these days as it's rare to find something genuinely new. However, call it a gimmick if you like, but Holden announced a new feature that appealed to us. Pause Live Radio allows you to store a radio broadcast so you can listen to it later. Great for the end of a footy game for example, and all thanks to the 10Gb hard drive that's capable of storing oodles of music too.
CDX and SRi-V models are equipped with heated leather seats and rear parking sensors, and all but the CD have a leather steering wheel and gear shifter. The CD has 16 inch steel wheels while all others roll on 17’s of varying styles, depending on model. All the expected safety features are present, resulting in a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
There's a generous 445 litre boot capacity and braked towing weight is rated at 1,200kg across the range. Unbraked trailers up to 695kg for petrol models and 750kg for the diesel powered cars can be hauled.
Pricing starts at $29,990 for the CD 1.8 manual through to $39,990 for the 1.4 Turbo SRi-V auto. With an almost complete range (the hatch will follow later this year), we are now spoilt for choice with the new model line-up.
Where we once picked the 2.0 diesel manual as being the one to have, it’s now a tough call. We love the new 1.4 litre petrol engine, and the little turbo charged powerplant mated to the six speed manual is our preference for open road enjoyment.
But for every day city use, it would have to be the six speed auto bolted to the 1.4 turbo. Then you still have the choice of CD, SRi or SRi-V spec level.