Holden Cruze CD 2.0DT 2009 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $25,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): nil
Crash rating: five-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 149??
Also consider: Volkswagen Golf 1.6DT, Hyundai i30 CRDi, Ford Focus TDCi

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

The Holden Cruze represents the first signs of the refinement, quality and dynamic abilities promised by the company since making its decision to embrace Asia, rather than Europe, as the source for future small cars. A decision that has so far resulted in some unmemorable offerings, including the current Daewoo-built Barina and the now-discontinued Viva.

The Cruze is something altogether different, despite the confusing continuation of a title once applied to a rebadged Suzuki micro SUV. As a car that is presently Korean-sourced, but will also eventually be built at Holden's plant in South Australia, it represents phase two of Holden's Korean push and has been developed with Euro standards in mind -- from styling, to quality, to on-road dynamics.

For now, the Cruze sedan is available in two basic trim levels -- CD and CDX -- and with the choice of petrol or diesel powerplants. Both engines are available with five-speed manual or six-speed auto transmission. Although the diesel was only available in the base-specification CD form tested here at launch, Holden has since added a CDX version -- in response to customer demand it says.

But there are big dynamic differences between petrol and diesel Cruze models. Simply, the 1.8-litre petrol engine is feeling the pinch. Indeed, attempting to power the relatively heavy Cruze, it struggles -- particularly in auto form where the six-speed transmission is put to work trying to maintain pace on long, steady uphill stretches. In cruise control mode, it either hunts up and down the gearbox, or steadfastly refuses to downshift as speed drops significantly.

The diesel is something else altogether. The common rail, variable-geometry turbocharged, 2.0-litre 16-valve oiler -- also seen in the Captiva SUV and Epica sedan -- produces not only more torque than the petrol engine with 320Nm at 2000rpm, but also a decent 110kW of power at a modest 4000rpm. The petrol 1.8 manages 176Nm and 104kW.

This is enough to do justice to the diesel's kerb weight of just more than 1.5 tonnes, while lifting fuel economy and lowering CO2 emissions at the same time.

If you are talking auto transmission though, consumption doesn't improve all that much. The diesel Cruze in auto form is quoted at 6.8L/100km compared to 7.5L/100km for the petrol 1.8. The auto consumption figure is a little puzzling because it doesn't fully show the advantages of combining a thrifty diesel (the manual diesel claims 5.7L/100km -- petrol man 7.0L/100km) with a modern six-speed transmission.

Opting for diesel adds $3000 to the price of manual or auto Cruze, but in the end is a worthwhile investment, especially when you consider the new small Holden is competitively priced anyway. A turbodiesel auto Cruze will set you back $25,990 while you can step into a manual for a manufacturer's list price of $23,990.

And the turbodiesel doesn't suffer badly in terms of refinement either. The 1.8-litre petrol engine today is not the quietest or smoothest four-cylinder, so any extra noise or vibration experienced in the diesel is proportionately quite small.

In diesel terms, the 2.0-litre can be described as relatively quiet and smooth, certainly moreso than some Euro equivalents. Hooked up to the intuitive, smooth-shifting six-speed sequential auto, there's a sense of refinement and on-road responsiveness lost in petrol Cruze autos. No worries about topping a long, steady rise with plenty of grunt still available and plenty of urge for quick, efficient overtaking out on the open road. And the step-off acceleration is relatively brisk, although -- probably due to the car's weight -- there is a slight, turbo-induced hesitation. For the same reasons the engine's mid-range, though strong, isn't quite as beefy as you might expect.

Acceleration tests by motoring authorities give the manual Cruze diesel a zero to 100km/h time of less than 11 seconds which, though nothing to rant about, is considerably faster than a petrol version.

Testing our auto diesel Cruze in a mix of driving conditions tended to illustrate the unfortunate veracity of the consumption claims as we averaged around 7.1-7.6L/100km (a recently rested petrol auto averaged around 7.9L/100km in similar conditions). If you really want to benefit from the diesel -- and benefit you do - it would seem best you think about opting for the five-speed manual.

Overall, the bottom line is that, where the petrol Cruze suffers from a painful Achilles heel, the diesel is an altogether fitter, more rounded package. If there's any downside, it's that the auto diesel fails to bring the fuel economy that could rightfully be expected.

The impressive dynamics -- quick, accurate steering, well-damped and comfortable suspension -- are uncompromised though, and the spacious packaging, comfortable seats and five-star safety rating (the Cruze comes with stability and traction control and six airbags) all secure the Cruze diesel a spot near the top of the small car ladder.

And although the CD is entry-level, the list of standard equipment is impressive: Air-conditioning, cruise control, adjustable headlight trim, multi-function steering wheel, six-speaker CD audio, four power windows and trip computer all make the cut. Only the lack of alloy wheels and the use of cloth seat trim reveal the CD's place in the Cruze hierarchy.

The niggles are small: some road roar coming into the cabin via the suspension, primitive boot hinges that threaten luggage as the lid is closed, the lack of a left footrest, too-eager auto door locking and a too-long shift lever that is easily bumped inadvertently are not too difficult to live with. The CD Cruze does not feel like a poverty pack version.

It is not yet an Astra, but maybe things will ramp up a little come Australian Cruze production next year.

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