Holden Cruze CDX 2009 Review

Holden Cruze CDX

Road Test

Price guide: $23,990 (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges)
Options fitted to test vehicle: N/A
Crash rating: Five-star ANCAP
Fuel: 91 RON/E10 suitable
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.0L/100km
CO2 emissions (g/km): 166
Also consider: Volkswagen Golf 90 TSI, Mazda3 Maxx Sport, Ford Focus LX, Hyundai i30 SLX

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

Few cars have entered the market with such high hopes riding on their backs than the humble Holden Cruze. It comes into the world as parent company General Motors is at its lowest ebb, bankrupt and with its future uncertain, and Holden trying to create a future beyond Commodore.

Holden has flooded every major outlet (TV, radio, billboards, internet, magazines, newspapers) with as many ads as it can afford to let people know just how serious it is about the Cruze. And it needs to be because the Cruze represents a big part of Holden's future plans.

As everyone knows by now the Cruze -- or a closely related version of it -- will be built alongside the Commodore at the company's South Australian plant from late next year.

Putting aside the hype that Holden has built up around the Cruze, the initial impressions are still overwhelmingly positive. Its looks aren't out of place amongst its competitors, it is well equipped and priced very competitively.

Closer examination continues the positive feeling too. The door shuts with a solid thump you expect from refined European models. The interior design is as good as, if not better, than its direct competition. Although it must be said that some of the plastics used are harsher than some rivals choose, the layout and functionality of the dash is hard to fault.

Likewise hard to fault is the standard equipment list. For around $24k you get 17-inch alloy wheels, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control, brake assist, six airbags, automatic headlights, six-speaker audio system with MP3 capability, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, trip computer, power windows fog lamps, leather seats, heated front seats and rear parking sensors. Impressive when you consider the CDX is priced near the lower end of its segment.
 
Start the car and get underway and the driving experience is initially positive too. Unlike the underachieving Holden Viva, which was a soggy performer that represented the old way of doing things at GM Daewoo, the Cruze shows just how capable GM can be when it sets its mind to a task.

The Cruze effectively replaces the Viva in the line-up but it's easy to understand why Holden is trying to put as much distance as possible between the two cars.

Dynamically the Cruze is almost as good as the European-sourced Astra. The steering is well weighted and direct, the brakes are strong with good pedal feel, the gearbox has a nice action and the cabin is quiet and well refined.

GM and Holden have produced a car with a very good chassis that won't disappoint owners who enjoy a good drive; it's better than many of its competitors including the highly popular Toyota Corolla.

All of which makes the company's decision to fit the lacklustre 104kW 1.8-litre petrol engine such a big disappointment.

On paper 104kW and 176Nm sound like enough shunt, but in the real world the engine feels underpowered and downright sluggish. Holden claims that "90 per cent of that torque available between 2200 to 6200rpm ensuring quality driveability even at low engine speeds". In our experience that claim is being very generous indeed.

Any application of the throttle below 2200revs feels like it has little effect. It is only when revved hard that the car's velocity changes within anything resembling "quality driveability". It is an engine screaming out for more torque.

We can only hope a version of the Opel-built 1.4-litre turbo engine will find its way into the locally built Cruze next year, which should close the gap between the Holden and its competition.

Fuel economy hovered around the high 9.0L/100km mark throughout our week-long test drive despite a trip down the motorway. While not a class-leading figure it was close enough to the claimed number (7.0L/100km) to warrant praise.

In fairness to Holden this author only drove the petrol engine so will reserve final judgment on the Cruze until we have had a chance to sample the 2.0-litre turbodiesel that has more power and torque.

But it is a shame that Holden does not offer the diesel in the top-spec CDX model we drove because the standard equipment list on the range-topper is impressive, so the addition of some more grunt would make it a seriously formidable contender.

There are other smaller disappointments too. Such as the decision not to fit a footrest which suggests some corners were cut on the grounds of time and cost. It may seem like a small gripe but not only does it leave your left foot with nowhere to go when not operating the clutch, but it results in some discomfort on anything beyond a short trip.

Taken as a whole the Cruze is a solid performer and deserves to be on anyone's small car shopping list. It doesn't stand out from the crowd but it makes a solid argument on price, equipment and styling.

Ultimately though, the Cruze is a very good car waiting for an engine to do it justice.

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