Specifications
Model tested: Chevrolet Cruze 2.0 VCDI LT,
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 S
Price as tested: £11,995 - £15,195
Insurance group as tested: 10, 4
Insurance group range: 4 - 10
CO2 emissions as tested: 159, 149g/km
CO2 emissions range: 145 - 184g/km
Company car tax range %: 17 - 19%
EuroNCAP result: TBC
On sale date: Now
Date and place tested: June 17, 2009, Manchester
Road tester: Andy Goodwin

Chances are you think of American motors when you hear the name Chevrolet, and not the 'Chevys' on sale here in the UK.

This model could change that. It's called the Chevrolet Cruze, and it's really quite good. So should you choose one over the Focus?

Chevrolet is hoping the Cruze will go straight into battle with the Kia Ce'ed, Hyundai I30 and Skoda Octavia this summer, but realistically it will need to put up a fight against the class-leading Focus and Golf to impress us.

Unconventionally the Cruze is only available as a saloon for the time being, marking it out against the hatchback style of all its competitors.

It offers a competitive 450-litre boot, and only suffers slightly in practicality if you are used to the vertical space you get in the rear of a hatch when you fold the seats down.

Points are scored back in the looks department though - while some hatchbacks appear a bit bulbous, the Cruze has a very nicely balanced profile.

It's blessed with an attractive face too, and a big, bold grille and Chevrolet 'bow-tie' badge.

Click below to view images of the Chevrolet Cruze:

Debuts tech of next-gen Astra

Technologically the Cruze is bang up-to-date; it's underpinnings being a variant of GM's global small-car platform at the heart of the next-generation Vauxhall Astra.

The interior of the Cruze is something of a revelation for a Chevrolet, with an attractive 'twin-cockpit', Corvette-inspired dashboard and materials which look good and feel soft to the touch.

Highlights include the steering wheel, blue back-lit dials, chrome door handles and instrument pods, while the headlight switchgear is straight out of the Vauxhall Insignia.

Choose the satellite navigation and it's also pretty much the same as the Insignia's.

This is still a car built to a price though, and there is some evidence of cost cutting in the cheaper plastics around the lower cabin, the lack of a clutch foot-rest and green trip computer graphics.

Big American saloons are notoriously softly sprung, and while the Cruze is a million miles away from them (most of its 1.4 million miles of testing was conducted in Europe), it's still a bit of a softie compared with the firm Focus.

So, it's less sporty to drive and ultimately doesn't handle as well as the Focus or Golf. But, this is little surprise, and it still turns into corners well enough for most drivers to appreciate its decent handling balance.

Drive it in the way its name suggests and the ride quality is excellent, and miles pass by with ease.

Engine line-up

Capacity / power (bhp) / emissions (g/km CO2)

1.6 / 112 / 159
1.6 Auto / 112 / 184
1.8 / 139 / 159
1.8 Auto / 139 / 184
2.0 VCDi / 123 / 145
2.0 VCDI / 148 / 149

We drove the bottom and top spec engines to see the difference between the cheapest and most expensive Cruze available.

The 1.6-litre petrol is quite enthusiastic - a little too loud at times - and you find yourself changing gear a lot on roads with tight bends, to keep it in the power band.

Performance matches the 1.6-litre Focus - the Cruze accelerating from 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds - but trailing the Golf which takes 11.3 seconds.

The 2-litre diesel with 148bhp is a much more mature engine, which has quite a bit of mid-range shove, and accelerates the Cruze from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds.

It's an impressive half-a-second quicker to 62 than the Focus 2.0 136 Zetec and Golf 2.0 140 GT.

On the road it has a slightly old-fashioned feel though, because there is almost no power until the turbocharger kicks in at about 1,200rpm.

It's a problem which could have been partly alleviated by fitting a six-speed manual in place of the five-speed 'box with its widely space gears.

Once you're used to it you can drive around the problem by changing down a gear and making sure you don't get caught in the doldrums.

Specification levels are high, with the entry-level S getting air conditioning, follow me home lighting, remote central locking, CD player with auxilliary input socket, electric front windows and full adjustable steering wheel and drivers' seat.

The LS model gets 16-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, fog lights, chrome grille surround, leather gear knob and steering wheel, trip computer, steering-wheel mounted audio controls and rear parking sensors.

Impressively the LT adds climate control, automatic wipers and lights, dimming rear mirror, 17-inch wheels, 'high output' stereo with 6 CD changer and optional satellite navigation.

Focus beater?

Is the bold Chevrolet enough to have Ford and Volkswagen running back to the drawing board? Not quite, but it's a very interesting proposition for anyone looking for a bargain, and something a bit different.

Starting at just £11,995 the Cruze is more than £1,500 cheaper than the entry-level 1.6-litre Focus and its good looks should get the neighbours’ curtains twitching.