For this week’s new car review, Chevrolet sent us a new Cruz Hatchback. Let’s talk small cars. Chevy has always built an affordable American car, but they haven’t always got it right. The Corvair and ChevyII Nova were great in the 60’s, and they are sought after today. But from the mid 70’s up until the Cobalt era, Chevy’s small cars evoke a mix of emotions. When was the last time someone talked about their Cavalier fondly?
The 2nd generation Cruze launched in 2016 with a 1.4-liter turbo four. The peppy little engine is also found in the Vanderhall Venice and Laguna models, so we’ve had serious time with it. They are easily capable of over 200 horsepower with a few mods, and nobody will argue with 37 mpg. Don’t let your memories of old FWD barges keep you away. The D2XX platform was built for a global market, and it is strong and nimble. Since the Cruze is also the basis for the Volt, it needed to be able to support a battery pack and plenty of additional weight.
It’s impossible to find a true base-model car anymore, so the Cruze arrives with power windows, A/C, 6 speaker audio and keyless start. In the battle for driver convenience, the $790 Confidence II Package has all the parking assist, lane keeping, and rear cross traffic systems. Since these will probably be government-mandated soon, most cars we review are hard to order without them.
Around town the Cruze is fun. It takes a second to spool the turbo, but the transmission ratios are suited nicely for decent acceleration. Yes, there are some moments that require you to stand on the skinny pedal. And that is what driving a small car is all about. It has all the features you need along with stellar safety ratings, so it makes the price of $29,605 completely plausible. The Cruze has more style inside & out than many other compacts. Find your nearest Chevy dealer in the link below and stay with us for more reviews.
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