2009 Holden Cruze CDX And CD Diesel Road Test Review

MAKE NO MISTAKE, Holden’s Cruze has some big shoes to fill. Without the perennially popular Astra and the budget-conscious Viva in Holden showrooms, the Cruze needs to be a lot of things to a lot of people.

Globally, General Motors has tagged this car with the responsibility of being a roaring success across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

For now, the sedan-only Cruze has to take the fight to a varied competition offering sedans, hatches and wagons. Available in two well-equipped specifications, with a choice of petrol or diesel engine, Holden’s marketing spin is that the Cruze has “changed the small car game forever”.

TMR took a diesel-powered Cruze CD and a range-topping petrol Cruze CDX and put them through their paces to see just how well the new contender lives up to those claims.

Already the Cruze is making a dent in the sector. With 1318 sales in September, it still has a way to go to catch the segment-leading Corolla with 3353 sales, but it is gaining ground.

So, but how does Holden’s new big hope measure up? With production to swap to Australia later next year, expectations are high for this new mid-sized contender from Holden.

Styling

Thankfully, there’s a lot to like about the stylistic balance of the Cruze. From nose to tail the small sedan nails its proportional weighting.

The high blunt-edged front and rear ends neatly complement the sweeping roofline which follows one continuous arc from the base of the A-pillar, right over the roof, and along the C-pillar.

Bodysides are broken up by a pronounced crease which develops behind the front wheel arch, runs above the door handles and folds downward inside the tail-lights.

Not everything fits well though. The over-sized grille and tail-lights seem out of place in an otherwise svelte sedan.

The headlights finish abruptly at their inboard edges and the corner crease around the edge of the bonnet can leave the car looking a little tall and narrow when viewed from head on. But, taste of course, is subjective.

Public response though would seem to indicate that GM’s designers have hit the nail with the lines of the Cruze. On numerous occasions we were asked about “that new Holden” when out and about.

Interior

The pleasing swooping exterior style is repeated inside the Cruze. Get settled behind the wheel and the first impression of the dashboard is of the smooth sweeping lines that connect the door trims to the dash and on through the centre console.

There’s plenty of interesting touches, from the semi-translucent tubes that house the instruments to the multi-textured metallic and gloss-black centre stack. We also like the chrome highlights and, in particular, the padded dash sections that run into doors, trimmed to match the seats.

In the CDX the seats themselves offer something different from the usual small car fare. Leather-trimmed, the two-tone grey on black seating surfaces make for a pleasant surprise at this end of the market.

Surprising too are features like heated front seats on the CDX with four-way adjustable head restraints and seat-height adjustment for driver and passenger. There is also height adjustment for the seatbelts offered on both models.

The only downside of the swooping dash design is that it travels awfully close to the knees. To avoid collecting the lower dash while engaging the clutch, or opening the glovebox, the seats need to be positioned well back.

Rear seat occupants are treated to the same two-tone leather, with three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints in all positions.

There is generous interior width, but, with the front seats back, knee-room quickly becomes tight and taller passengers will find themselves acquainted with the rear headlining.

Utility is enhanced by 60:40 split folding rear seats which fold flat, however the outer rear seatbelts are positioned so that they fall against the seat strikers. Locking the seats back into position requires a fussy two-handed operation that simply shouldn’t be the case.

Boot space is not a problem with a wide opening, a deep floor and 400 litres of cargo room. Ample there for a small family on the move.

Equipment and features

Even in its basic CD specification the Cruze comes loaded with features such as cruise control, heated electric mirrors, auto-down power windows for all doors, 16-inch wheels, a trip-computer and standard air-conditioning.

Entertainment comes courtesy of a single disc MP3=compatible CD player with ‘plug and play’ MP3 player connectivity and six speakers backed up by illuminated steering wheel controls.

The up-spec CDX also adds leather trim with heated front seats, a leather gear-shifter and steering wheel, chrome external door handles, rear park-sensors, front foglights and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Safety equipment is well represented with the 5-Star ANCAP-rated Cruze coming loaded with Electronic Stability control (ESP) with traction control, Antilock Brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

In the case of an accident, occupants are protected by six airbags, seatbelt pretentioners, and, for the driver, collapsible pedals.