You have seen them all over the roads for years zipping in and out of traffic, some with huge fins and mufflers on the back, some done up with teens driving and others with adults hauling around the family. They were the Pontiac Sunfire and Chevy Cavalier.
They sold in huge numbers in the late '90s and early part of this century and it seemed that everyone and their dog had one. They were cheap, they had room for four adults, they were pretty good on gas and they weren't too bad looking either.
But since heir demise GM hasn't had anything that has been successful enough to take over its spot and sell as many units. Until now.
With the introduction of the new Chevy Cruze to much fanfare a week ago, GM is looking at what it calls its new global compact car. Launching in 60 countries the Cruze is sure to sell more than the Cavalier and Sunfire put together. Normally a vehicle is badged under a different name in lots of countries, however the Cruze will be the Cruze no matter what country you go to.
Part of the reason the Sunfire and Cavalier sold so many units was because they had a good introductory price as has the Cruze. Starting at $14,995 GM has certainly aimed the Cruze at the heart of the sub-compact market.
With room for at least four adults this little four cylinder provides a lot of mileage for the money. In the city the Cruze is rated at 33 mpg and on the highway it is rated at 51 mpg. Who said hybrid is the way of the future?
Inside the Cruze has several shades of black with the same fabric on the seats being used on the doors and dash. The four-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed manumatic transmission, which is a large reason for the big gas mileage.
The Cruze also has a large trunk, much bigger than a vehicle of its size would normally have. This should help when you use the money you save on gas to purchase a bigger TV or stereo, or some other sort of electronic gadget.
The Cruze is not built for boy racing or screaming all over the place, it is built for city driving and highway cruising. On the road the Cruze soaks up the bums and potholes well for a smaller vehicle and the ride is quite comfortable.
Chevy has also included a bunch of safety, entertainment and comfort items to make the ride more pleasurable.
On the safety side, my tester had side and side-curtain airbags, a knee air bag, traction control, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes. The Cruze also comes with OnStar for safety and convenience in case of an emergency.
Although compact in size and category, the Cruze is not compact on options. For comfort and convenience, Chevy added power mirrors, doors, moonroof and locks and the steering wheel had controls for the stereo, cruise and Bluetooth.
There is also a factory-installed remote starter, and with winter just around the corner it will come in very handy.
For some reason, having a height-adjustable lever for the driver's seat was not good enough for the Cruze, so Chevy installed two of them. One to lift the front of the seat and another for the back of the seat. The front one I presume is to prevent you from sliding off the seat if you raise the back of it too much. Tilt and telescope on the wheel have also been included as have AUX and USB jacks, satellite radio and split-folding rear seat with fold down armrest and three adjustable headrests.
Chevy has managed to pack a lot into this compact sedan and of if any vehicle is to sell as many units and be as popular as the Sunfire an the Cavalier the Cruze is it.
Chevy Cruze
4-door sedan
6-speed manumatic
1.4 litre four cylinder
Horsepower 138 @ 4,900
Torque 148 @ 1,850
Mileage: 8.5 l/100 km 33 mpg City 5.5 l/100km 51 mpg Hwy
Price $24,175
