CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Chevrolet thinks its Cruze stands a big chance of making an impact in the UK market and it's been continuously improved since launch. Jonathan Crouch checks out the latest version.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

On the surface, the Cruze is the kind of budget compact saloon that Chevrolet's previous efforts would lead us to expect, with low pricing and generous specification. Look closer and the car rides on the Mk6 Vauxhall Astra platform, has a decent interior, sound safety credentials and isn't unattractive to look at, with the choice of four or five-door bodystyles. It isn't going to worry the class leaders but looks a comprehensive package for the price.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

The challenge for Chevrolet as it bids to make further inroads into the UK car market is one of altering public perception as much as it is of achieving higher standards with its products. It arrived on these shores with the bizarre combination of a badge known for gas-guzzling American trucks or muscle cars and a product range comprised of re-badged budget runabouts from South Korea. Slowly but surely though, Chevrolet has been working at unifying its brand message and its vehicle line-up in a manner that will hit the right notes with European buyers. Take the Cruze model we're looking at here, these days offered in both saloon and hatchback guises and with a super-frugal 1.7-litre diesel engine. Could this be the car through which the all-American marque finds its European accent?

The background story certainly sounds promising. This, after all, is the first Chevrolet to be tested and tuned in Europe for European tastes, having covered over 1.2 million km of durability testing. It's based on the hi-tech GM platform developed for the latest generation Vauxhall Astra. And it's styled by the man who helped create the cheeky little Italian fashion icon that we know as the Fiat 500. As a result, it's everything you don't expect from a Korean-built car: visually striking, dynamically adept and possessed of a quality feel.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Handling excellence is not something Chevrolet is known for but this car is a big step in the right direction, as you would expect from its Vauxhall Astra-based underpinnings. Aside from very quick and direct steering, the whole experience is geared more for comfort than sporting endeavour - which will almost certainly be something suited to its likely clientele. So it is that there's more body roll and less grip than you'd get in a Focus or an Astra but as long as you don't rev the engine too much, refinement is impressive, suggestive of a much larger and more expensive saloon, and the ride is pretty good over all but the poorest surfaces. Extra effort has gone into stiffening the body structure and this is a central reason for the car's polished performance on the road.

Powering the Chevrolet Cruze, there's a choice of 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines along with 1.7 and 2.0-litre common-rail diesels. The two petrol options generate 124PS and 141PS respectively, while the diesel is offered in 130PS or 163PS guises. Petrol buyers can choose a six-speed automatic gearbox if the fancy takes them but the standard fit transmission is a five-speed manual. There's a 6-speed manual in the top 2.0-litre diesel.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Lots of Chevrolet's UK offerings have been rather forgettable from a design perspective but the Cruze changes that. It's a handsome compact saloon or five-door hatch with an athletic stance and sharp, sculpted lines. The design language is gradually being reproduced across all the brand's models, so we can expect to see lots more of the distinctive deep front grille split by a horizontal bar with the Chevrolet badge at its centre. The headlights curl around the corners of the Cruze and smear back to a point along the bonnet line, while the roof drops away towards the rear, meeting with the stubby saloon boot. The saloon variant is 4,597mm long and 1,788mm wide, putting it in the same size bracket as booted versions of the Ford Focus and the likes of Volkswagen's Jetta. Go for the five-door hatch version and boot space falls from 450 to 413-litres but the hatch does offer the option of folding the rear bench to free up as much as 883-litres.

Interior quality is a sticky issue for any budget car as materials quality and eye-catching design are usually amongst the first things to be sacrificed to achieve that eye-catching price. The Cruze defies expectations on this score, however, because it's actually very slick when you clamber inside. Some of the switchgear will be familiar to owners of the Vauxhall Insignia and the dashboard design is well resolved - the stereo controls being a particular high point. Chevrolet has also built in a wide range of adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel which should help most people get comfy.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Prices start from around the £14,000 mark and there are four main trim levels to choose from - LS, LT, LTZ and LTZ Executive. All variants get things like air conditioning, remote central locking, electric front windows, a CD stereo, and headlights that stay on for a few seconds after locking the car to guide you to your door. At the top of the range, customers get things like 17" alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, electric rear windows and an upgraded stereo.

Only the very plushest variants get the option of an integrated satellite navigation system but every Chevrolet Cruze comes with six airbags and, impressively, ESC stability control as standard. Chevrolet is hoping that this safety equipment, featured even on the most affordable models, will be a big selling point for the car, along with the exemplary crash protection qualities of the basic platform.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Chevrolet products haven't enjoyed the strongest residual values, with the brand having operated predominantly at the budget end of the market. The Cruze could still change all that if the public can be made to view the car as a more affordable alternative to the Vauxhall Astra. It's certainly the most convincing UK market Chevrolet to date. Best of the bunch when it comes to running costs is the entry-level diesel, the 1.7 VCDi which can return a combined cycle fuel return of 62.7mpg. With CO2 emissions of just 117g/km, this variant qualifies for free road tax for the first year and a benefit-in-kind tax commitment of just 17 per cent.The 2.0-litre diesel engines perform well on fuel economy, delivering around 50mpg on the combined cycle, but not strikingly in terms of CO2, with readings between 141 and 167g/km. The petrol models are closer to the market standard in this respect, developing around 155g/km of CO2 and recording 42.8mpg on the combined cycle, regardless of whether you go for the 1.6 or the 1.8. Insurance is between groups 14-22 and there's a three year/60,000 mile warranty.

CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL SALOON 2.0 VCDI 163 LTZ 4DR

Chevrolet is a massive name in the global car industry but the brand is still awaiting a car to really establish it in the UK. This might not be it but it certainly surpasses any previous Chevrolet offering in its segment in terms of quality and is priced low enough to make it an attractive budget option.

Overall then, the Cruze provides more of a glimpse of what this American brand is really all about. Its core strength remains the value proposition on offer but with sharp looks, a good safety spec and a decent quality interior, it has the capacity to surprise you if you're prepared to look beyond the obvious candidates in your search for a compact family car.