Road Test : Holden Cruze CDX Diesel

Review by Anthony Ziella - 8 February 2012

The global financial crisis hit the entire motor manufacturing industry harder than any other, just ask anyone who worked for Saab. 

Corporate greed forced an entire industry to re think and re work everything they had been doing up until that point. 

The latest offering from Holden is probably the best example of the new direction the auto market is headed.

Holden, who are generally renowned for their beefy, gas-guzzling, big boy’s toys have focused almost all of their energy on what they see as the future’s most important market, the small car.

So how does the new school Holden Cruze stack up?

Drive: 4/5

Outside of the already mentioned delay at takeoff, the Cruze is an awesome drive. The steering in this thing is light and responsive making cornering a breeze, another change from the usually heavy steering you would expect from a Holden.

The suspension is great too, with McPherson struts up front and the rear torsion bar it keeps you connected with the road while at the same time providing a silky smooth ride and the noise and vibration are low.

The driver controls are top class as well. With the touch of a button on the leather wrapped steering wheel you can toggle trough a multitude of driver control options ranging from three separate trip meters to fuel consumption (instant and projected) to just your basic digital speed if you’re not into all that. 

The steering wheel also houses the reins for the cruise control and the audio controls.

Engine: 3.5/5

The 2011 model Holden Cruze comes in a variety of engine forms, starting with the 1.4 litre petrol to the 1.8 litre petrol through to the 2.0 litre diesel, all turbo. I tested the 2.0 litre diesel but the consensus seems to be the same across the board, this doesn’t drive like a Holden. Once it’s going the 4-cyclinder, 16 valve, turbo diesel engine is powerful enough pumping out 120Kw of power and 360Nm of torque but it’s at takeoff where there is an issue.

It’s like this car is constantly on a slight delay from the time you put your foot down to the time the turbo and grunt kick in. Not so frustrating if your only road testing it for the week but if you had to put up with it every day, it might get really irritating.

I know it will sound ridiculous to point out but the diesel engine really, really sounds like a diesel. Most manufactures go out of their way to disguise that sound but the Cruze just reminded me of harvesting corn in northern New South Wales.

On the flipside to all of this is the fact that this car is unbelievably fuel efficient, Holden claim it at 6.9l/100km and I can vouch for that. Which is incredible really, I mean for a Holden.

Exterior: 4.5/5

The first thing you will notice about the Holden Cruze is that it doesn’t look like a Holden at all. When I picked it up from a car park full of other, older model Holdens it stood out like an un-neutered bulldog. Compared to its predecessors the Cruze looks more like it drove off the windy roads of Europe as opposed to the long highways of America.

Sitting on top of crisp 17” alloys the shape is curvier, much more dynamic and kind of looks like a BMW from the front. The choices of colors are great too, I got to drive the adequately named ‘perfect blue’ tint and it’s a ripper. Basically the car looks good and will defiantly attract a new demographic toward Holden.

Safety: 5/5

If you are to compete in the current market your car had better be safe, and the Holden Cruze is safe as houses. 

With six, front, side and curtain airbags, ESC, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Traction Control the Cruze receives the highest possible 5-Star ANCAP safety rating. 

Good to know.

Interior: 4.5/5

From the outside the Cruze may not look like its ancestors but all you old school, loved ‘em since way back Holden fans will be happy to know that once you get inside, this car is all Holden. As we have come to expect from their design team, driver comfort seems to be of a top priority.

The instant your cheeks nestle in the comfortable, heated leather bucket seats you will remember you are in a Holden. The same goes for the passenger seat as well and in the back there is enough room provided you aren’t too tall (anyone over 6 foot tall is going to have to duck down a little) and foldable arm rests in the middle are a nice bonus.

The dash design is one of the best I’ve seen, it’s functional, easy to navigate and is perfectly symmetrical from digital display to gear stick, which is great if you are a little OCD (if you don’t know what that is don’t look it up, you are better off not knowing).

The hi-fi in the Holden Cruze is a more than practical six speaker sound system with CD, USB and AUX compatibility (all that basically means you can plug in your i-pod without having to buy some over-priced cord or attachment). Add to that the Bluetooth connectivity and a reasonably spacious 445 litres of boot space and the Cruze ticks all the comfort and space boxes.

Overall: 4 / 5

In the end this new style, new generation Holden is more a symbol of the transition period that car manufactures are going through. For me, but probably not for the purists, the Cruze is a refreshing change from this Australian car company.

Priced at $28,740*, puts it right up there in terms of competiveness and value for money. A sleek, new, sporty design will mean that it will enter into the decision making process of a whole new demographic, great news for Holden.

* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised Holden dealer.