The C-segment is one of the most important sectors of the automotive market, with every mainstream manufacturer having at least one car competing within. From Alfa Romeo's Giulietta through to the Lexus CT200h and Volvo's C30, there really is a car for everyone.
So, in a potentially saturated marketplace, what can a Chevrolet hatchback offer above and beyond a nostalgic name and a tenuous link to an American heritage?
The Cruze hatchback is based on the successful sedan of the same name which, according to Chevrolet, is vying with Volkswagen's Passat as Britain's best selling four door – a point Chevrolet is keen to highlight, but also one that they are aiming to best with the hatch variant. As a stand-alone ‘all-new' model, however, the Cruze hatchback is somewhat of an anomaly.
Billed as a sporting alternative to the sedan, Chevrolet wants to draw attention to the car's sporting prowess and intentions with buzzwords like ‘dynamic', ‘sporty' and ‘athletic' being used in abundance – the Cruze sedan's dominance in the World Touring Car Championship clearly encourages this notion.
The work of English designer Lee Mitchell in Chevrolet's Melbourne studio, the car does display some neat details. Based on the sedan and featuring the same DRG, its angular, drawn back headlights give the car an inert feeling of aggression. The protruding, dominant family grille appears to set the headlights back further still, adding to the taut detail lines and sculpted hood. All this blends together in creating a strong road presence.
In profile the similarities to its rivals are unmistakable. The hefty C-pillar and rising beltline that intersects the rear lights are reminiscent of the Opel Astra – as are the chunky five-spoke alloys that were fitted to our test car – whilst the arcing rear lights have an element of the Proton Gen-2 to them.
Proportionally, the Cruze hatchback feels like a bigger car than it actually is. The rear overhang, when combined with that C-pillar, gives the Cruze a heavy rear-end, though the intersecting rear cheater panel that lengthens the DLO does go someway to alleviate the problem. The 17-inch wheels, large profile tires and substantial arch gap all add to this ‘bigger car' feeling. Visually, the Cruze appears much larger than the stated 4510mm length suggests.
The juxtaposition between the taut, angular lines and aggressive demeanor of the front and the softer lines of the rear give the Cruze a questionable poise, with the two halves sitting at odds with one another.
When viewed from the rear three-quarter, the Cruze seems to be a completely different car; it appears a softer, more elegant and European hatch than the DRG would have you perceive. The flowing ‘coupe-esque' roofline and broad haunches again play to Chevrolet Europe's sporting intentions, but ultimately give the car a bloated feel, especially in comparison to the more lithe Astra.
Around the back the rearward rising beltline runs through the rear lights before gently dropping off, neatly framing the bowtie, while a detail line runs off the bottom of the DLO. The two come together to create a negative surface on the tailgate that adds a feeling of depth to an essentially flat surface. The resultant spoiler that also emerges plays to that sporting feel again.
However, this resolved detail is undermined by Chevrolet's questionable application of the release handle. Sitting totally at odds with its surroundings is an item that would look out of place on an industrial fridge. Integrating the release handle into the central bowtie would have been a much more elegant solution.
First impressions of the interior are good. Perceived quality is high, with a solid level of fit and finish. The snappily titled LTZ 2.0 VCDi Auto Executive, has an generous spec list: heated leather seats; USB connectivity; six speakers that form part of an impressive sound system and a large centrally-mounted screen that communicates the Sat-Nav and radio functions.
The IP, also carried over from the sedan, is functional and from an ergonomic aspect is very well laid out. The steering wheel-mounted controls are also well positioned and give good intuitive feedback when used. The Sat-Nav system is easy to navigate and use thanks to a clear, large diameter screen as well as the easy to read menus and maps.
Interspersed with these technologies is simple old fashioned stowage, and the Cruze is not short of it. An array of door and dash bins provide ample room to store the accumulated family tidbits both front and back.
The hefty C-pillar, mentioned earlier, not only adds to the visual mass of the car, but also impedes on the visibility from the driving seat, narrowing the rear window to little more than a slot in the rear view mirror.
Zoom in and the use of hard plastics and their liberal application throughout the cabin is almost out of place and date. After just two days and around 100 miles, the door cards and lower cabin plastics – specifically around the seat trim pieces – were scuffed and tired looking. For a car destined to be used on the school run, or as a moving kennel for the family dog, plastics of this durability shouldn't be deemed acceptable.
The Cruze's functionality, practicality and, above all, pricing, make it a very appealing alternative to the similarly equipped Ford Focus, in monetary terms at least. Yet, with Chevrolet trying to pitch this as a sporting variant of the sedan, it almost feels like they have missed the mark. If all pretences are dropped and the car is taken on face value, it is credible alternative to the likes of Hyundai's i30 and Kia's Cee'd.
Pitched as a cheap, reliable and inoffensive family car it makes perfect sense. But adding a set of alloy wheels and a sporting ‘fabric' for the interior does not make a sports car. Chevrolet already has a perfectly acceptable and well established line of sports cars in its portfolio – in the Camaro and Corvette. Perhaps if they were to lend a little of their American DNA to the Cruze, the ‘sporty' moniker might not be so hard to understand.
No comments:
Post a Comment