Chevrolet Cruze hatch (2011 onwards)

What - Chevrolet Cruze hatch
Where - Midlands, UK
Date - August 2011
Price - From £13,995 (test 2.0 VCDi 163 LT: £17,195)
Available - Now
Key rivals - Kia Cee'd, Hyundai i30, Skoda Octavia, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra

Summary - Chevrolet Cruze gains a hatch and thus gains marketability, but it's still not enough to make it a bargain Vauxhall Astra alternative.

We like - Performance, value, interior, solid feel, equipment
We don't like - Fuel economy, squidgy handling, engine noise when cold, awkward rear end styling

Gallery: Chevrolet Cruze hatch
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First impressions

Chevrolet has been selling the Cruze since 2009 and finally has now responded to our key gripe at launch: give it a hatchback rear. In the UK, mid-size saloons barely register on the sales charts, as family buyers easily prefer five-door hatchback models. By not offering one, Chevrolet was missing out.

Now the hatch has arrived, joining the saloon range to open up the Vauxhall Astra-sized Cruze range. This presents Chevrolet with a major opportunity; for the first time ever, it has a contemporary vehicle in the big-selling Ford Focus sector that combines modern looks and features with great value and low prices.

Well, we say modern. The conversion from saloon to hatchback has resulted in an anonymous rear end with an extreme rake for the rear glass - as if Chevrolet had to make the hatch fit the saloon platform, rather than optimise it to suit. It's no beauty (the front end is better), but at least the hatchback is there.

At least it feels modern to drive, too. The platform is shared with the latest Vauxhall Astra, meaning Chevrolet has a latest-spec, class-competitive car in this major sector. If it can do what the Astra does but with savings of as much as £5,000, could the Cruze hatch now make a smart family car buy?

Performance

The base Chevrolet Cruze engine, a 1.6-litre petrol, offers 39hp more than a same-price base-spec Ford Focus; the 1.8-litre is is less impressive but the sole diesel option packs a real bang. Producing 163hp, the 2.0-litre VCDi motor is one of the most powerful in this class and really helps the Cruze stand out.

Performance is, of course, very strong. 0-60mph takes 8.5 seconds, very impressive for a non-sports family hatch, and 265lb ft of pulling power (spread from 1,750-2,750rpm) gives it a muscular and powerful feel on the go.

The engine is weaker at lower revs though. It needs around 1,700rpm to start pulling well: let the revs drop and it is flat. Tall gearing does not help here: you need to keep the six-speed gearbox in a lower ratio than you would like in town, to ensure it remains responsive.

The 2.0-litre motor sounds clattery and old-fashioned when first started up. However, although it remains noisy at tickover when warm (it doesn't have stop-start), it is much smoother and quieter on the go. There is little vibration and it cruises near-silently at speed.

Ride and handling

At first, the Chevrolet Cruze hatch feels quite sporty. The steering is quick, so it can be darted in town with wrist-flicks, and the suspension has a firm feel that means the body doesn't lean and roll.

This promise does not translate onto twisting roads, though. This is no Ford Focus - nor, indeed, is it a patch on the Vauxhall Astra whose platform it shares. The Chevrolet rolls into corners, lacks crispness and doesn't offer much engagement.

There is also an odd 'sway' sensation from the rear. This is compliance in the basic-spec rear suspension, giving the impression of the rear shifting as you turn into a corner sharply. It's perfectly safe (standard ESP sees to that) but the sensation is odd.

In town, the ride is a bit knobbly, but it's stable and assured at higher speeds. Indeed, the combination of strong engine and safe feel from the chassis makes the Chevrolet a decent long-distance cruiser.

Interior

Surprisingly sporty design means the Chevrolet Cruze hatch interior is more appealing than the outside. There are neat features throughout, such as the dished-style steering wheel (a bit like a classic Corvette), cowled dials and fabric panels on the dashboard.

Complementing the on-surface sporting feel are surprisingly firm seats that can be height-adjusted very low. They are decent pews but the base is rather narrow so they won't suit all. The driving position will though, as the range of adjustment is large (although it's a pity there's no clutch footrest).

The penalty of those low-set seats is a shortage of foot room in the back. General space in the rear is so-so and comfort could be better: the base of the seat is unsupportive. The well-shaped boot, however, is large, with a 413-litre capacity beating the VW golf by 63 litres.

The compromises over the rear hatch is revealed in terms of practicality though, as the angle of the rear glass restricts ultimate capacity. Curiously, the rear seats also wouldn't fold unless the head restraints were removed - something impossible in the test car. The only way to get the backrests lying flat was to move the front seats forward. Not ideal.

Equipment levels are very good. Chevrolet says the Cruze offers mid-range equipment for base-model money - or, each trim line is equipped to match the next one up in a rival's range. All have air con, electric windows and stereo with aux-in socket.

The test LT added 16-inch alloys, cruise control, parking sensors and a leather steering wheel with stereo controls: LTZ adds Bluetooth, USB socket, auto wipers and lights, 17-inch alloys and the option of sat-nav as well as leather and heated seats. All for well under £20k.

Economy and safety

The performance of the diesel engine is paid for in weak fuel economy. The Cruze hatch diesel averages 50.4 and emits 147g/km - both way off the class best (and barely any better than the petrol Cruze alternatives). A slower 1.7-litre diesel, due in 2012, can't come soon enough.

Euro NCAP tested the Chevrolet Cruze saloon and awarded it a full five-star rating. It can be assumed the hatch will get a similar rating, as it comes with all the features of the saloon including side and curtain airbags plus standard ESP.

The MSN Cars verdict

The Chevrolet Cruze is, in hatchback guise, much more appealing than the saloon, but it's still not good enough. The key failing is poor fuel economy, which outweighs the benefits of a low list price. Its other strengths, such as engine performance, solidity and refinement, are not enough either.

Undemanding buyers would be perfectly happy with it, but the Kia Cee'd does, for us, a better job of being a cut-price Ford Focus alternative than the Chevrolet Cruze hatch. Come back next year, when we test the 1.7-litre diesel model...

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