Holden Cruze SRi Z-Series2016 Review

The Aussie-made Holden Cruze is now officially in run-out mode, and that means you can get a good deal. The all-new Astra small car will fill the void until a new, all-imported Cruze arrives here in 2017; and being able to negotiate a good deal on an Australian-made Cruze holds appeal. But the real question is: should you? The SRi Z-Series is priced just under $30,000 and has many pros and cons. Read on…

Once seated in the Holden SRi Z-Series Cruze, it takes all of four seconds to realise it's getting old, the dated components and cheap materials hard to ignore. The switchgear, the buttons on the centre console, even the touchscreen appear to be behind the eight ball when compared to its peers.

But if there's one positive thing about the Cruze it's the tinkering work Holden's engineering boffins have made to the chassis.

Ride comfort is good, the car's shock absorbers, tyres and springs react easily to rough roads, isolating the body of the car from jarring movements large and small. It sails over patchwork roads, tram tracks and pot holes with ease and when you find a few corners it's just as obliging.

The steering isn't too shabby, connecting you with the front wheels and offering a reasonable level of communication, and when you get enthusiastic the car responds with surprising eagerness.

It's a fairly balanced car, tipping into corners keenly, and it tracks through them neatly and with less body roll than a lot of newer, more fancied rivals. It's a testament to the decades of engineering wisdom within GM Holden and this is evidenced on other models too, such as the updated Colorado ute.

Powered by an ageing 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the Cruze SRi-Z is nevertheless a rapid runabout. Peak power of 132kW and 230Nm gives the Holden hatch plenty of run off the line and once at speed the turbo does a good job of keeping things lively.

Despite requiring premium petrol (95-98 RON), it can be a moderately efficient car, my week long test ending with 8.1L/100, not far off the claimed 7.9L. Considering the car has 132kW and a tasty rev range, that's not a bad outcome. Expect to get around 700km from a tank of fuel with mixed driving.

The six-speed automatic transmission is average, taking its sweet time to down-shift when you're in a hurry; and I encountered an odd stuttering on more than one occasion. In traffic and at nominal speeds it delivers smooth shifts and rarely has to hunt around for the right gear.

This Cruze was given a facelift in early 2015, adding a new-look 'split' grille, LED daytime running lights on top-end models, along with remote engine start, improved interior materials such as suede inserts on the seats and rain-sensing wipers.

Certainly not cutting-edge tech additions and there are more advanced vehicles available in same space. But to its credit, the Holden Cruze is a not an unpleasant mode of conveyance.

Reversing sensors and camera make parking easier but with good vision fore and aft you don't always need them. There's plenty of space for front occupants and rear seats provide decent leg and head room, while the 413-litre boot swallows two large suitcases no dramas.

The Cruze does a lot of things well and the MyLink 7.0-inch colour touchscreen has plenty of functionality, including in-built sat-nav, Bluetooth streaming and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support.

The leatherette seats are comfy, the driving and entertainment controls for are well laid out, if old and dated, and keyless ignition means you can leave the keys in your pocket or bag.

But the best cars in the massively important small car segment don't just do things well, they do things brilliantly, and this is where the Cruze will struggle, especially when customers cross shop.

Yes, it has rain-sensing wipers and a detailed trip computer and lots of other convenient functions that make driving life easier, like plenty of storage solutions, but the cabin décor feels outmoded, the buttons and dials are built to a budget and the instrument display needs updating.

It's got a responsive engine and a pearler of a chassis but this is not enough today.

With so many other impressive vehicles available to Australian new car buyers, you'd have to be a rusted-on Holden fan to buy one of these at full retail price.

Granted, the swan song Z-Series Cruze gets unique floor mats, scuff plates and exterior badges, not to mention satin-grey 18-inch alloy wheels; but unless you snaffle a significant discount (ignore the retail listed below) cars like the Mazda 3, Hyundai i30 and Volkswagen Golf – coincidentally the top three sellers in the segment – are much better options – as is the new Holden Astra!

The Holden Cruze SRi-Z model is a fun and at times engaging small car, its turbo-petrol 1.6 engine giving it more poke than many of its Asian rivals.

But it misses out several modern safety features, including autonomous emergency braking, the three-year warranty is average and it feels like it's passed its use-by date.

Holden will introduce an all-new Cruze in the first-half of 2017 that will be imported from Korea and it stands to reason that it will be a better package overall – especially if Holden's engineers to get to fettle the suspension and steering.

If it were my money, I'd wait for the new Cruze or test drive the impressive new Holden Astra.

As the last small car to be manufactured in Australia, there's a sense of sadness around the situation but I doubt the car itself will be as sorely missed as it's bigger brother, the Commodore.

Also consider:

>> Mazda3 (from $19,990 plus ORCs)
>> Ford Focus (from $20,490 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Corolla (from $19,790 plus ORCs)