Our European editor, Paul Horrell, got behind the wheel of Chevy's Next Big Thing in Spain a couple of months ago. His verdict? The Chevy compact is good in parts. And after time behind the wheel of a pair of Chinese-spec Chevrolet Cruzes during my three-day road trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou and back, I'd have to agree. There's a lot to like about the Cruze, including the distinctive styling, roomy packaging, tight structure, and competent chassis. But the car needs work before it's ready for prime time here in the United States.
I drove an entry-level 1.6 SE with a five speed manual, and a top of the range 1.8 SX with the six-speed automatic transmission. The SX comes with sat-nav, climate-control air-conditioning, central locking, a sunroof, and power fore-aft adjustment on the driver's seat. The seats are leather trimmed, as are the steering wheel and the contrasting colorway that stretches from the doors across the dash fascia.
Curiously, the SE's interior seems classier, largely because the lighter color, self-patterned cloth material of the seat inserts replace the bland-looking leather on the doors and dash. The plastic-rimmed steering wheel definitely feels bargain basement, though. The cabin is roomy, with decent front seats, and good rear-seat accommodation. Out back is a big trunk.
On the outside, you'll need sharp eyes to pick the difference between the two trim levels. The SX gets a chrome strip on the beltline, chrome plates on the door handles, and a chrome garnish between the taillights. Both our testers rolled 16-in. alloy wheels fitted with Kumho Solus KH17 205/60R16 tires.
Both Cruzes are more stiffly sprung than the Buick Regal is, which suggests they'd be more fun to drive in the twisties. And they are, although the steering is quite low-geared and has an artificially strong self-centering characteristic. The chassis' at-the-limit handling characteristic is typical front-drive understeer; up to that point, it's composed and benign, with gentle and utterly predictable transient responses.
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