NEW VEHICLE CHEVROLET CRUZE
Cruze’s value ‘nails it’ with buyers
By Malcolm Gunn Wheelbase Media
Small cars have been an integral part of Chevrolet’s product mix dating back more than 50 years, although a few have been memorable for the wrong reasons (the Corvair, Vega and Chevette come to mind).
With the 2015 Cruze however, Chevrolet nailed it right from the beginning. Now in its fifth model year, the Cruze demonstrates that a car with plenty of inherent goodness — including an affordable price — can keep with the front-running Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, et al. Its winning ways include crisp-yet-conservative styling, comfortable interior and no-slouch power teams.
Chevrolet reports that three-million-plus Cruzes have been sold worldwide, including nifty wagon and hatchback versions available only in overseas markets.
For 2015, Chevrolet has instituted some subtle tweaks to shore up the Cruze before an all-new model arrives a couple of years from now. There’s a revised grille, enlarged lower air intakes and LED running lights designed to more closely align the Cruze with its larger Malibu and Impala relations.
It could be considered change for change’s sake, but at least the Cruze’s understated attractiveness remains.
The same goes for the interior that remains unaltered except for larger cup holders, a new floor-console-located trunk release and doorlock switches moved to the door panels from the console.
Chevrolet has also added an extra-cost built-in Wi-Fi hotspot to its OnStar emergency and concierge service. This allows Web access, should the owner choose a monthly subscription. The starting point under the hood is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that produces 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
Optional is a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cyl- inder that makes the same 138 horsepower, but the torque rating climbs to 148-pound-feet.
A recently available (2014-model-year) option is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel that makes 151 horsepower and, most importantly, 264 poundfeet of torque.
Its overboost function increases torque to 280 for up to 10 seconds under hard acceleration.
A smooth-shifting sixspeed manual transmission is standard with the non-turbo 1.8 and turbo 1.4, while a six-speed automatic is optional. The turbo-diesel only comes with the automatic.
The turbo-diesel is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 46 highway. That compares to the next-best turbo 1.4’s 26 / 39 rating (28 / 42 with the manual gearbox). These numbers belong to the available Cruze Eco that’s lighter than base models, is lower to the ground and has grille shutters to keep unnecessary air from piling up in the engine compartment.
The 2015 Enclave continues to bring new customers to the Buick brand, thanks to its outstanding design, performance and safety features.
The Enclave’s exterior and interior color palettes have been refined for 2015. A new Dark Plum interior color is available, as well as four new exterior colors — Crimson Red Tintcoat, Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic, Dark Chocolate Metallic and Midnight Amethyst Metallic.
The Enclave is instantly recognizable as a modern Buick, with sculpted styling and signature elements such as a black-chrome waterfall grille complemented by technologically advanced features, including signature wing-shape LED lighting. Monochromatic paint schemes accented with chrome contribute to the luxury crossover’s premium appearance, along with large 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheel designs.
The Enclave’s interior is defined by luxurious amenities and highquality materials, along with the intuitive technology of Buick IntelliLink. Buick’s signature QuietTuning engineering process, which uses laminated glass and extensive sound blocking and absorbing materials, makes the Enclave’s cabin quieter than a Lexus RX350.
The Enclave is driven by a 3.6-liter, V6 engine featuring fuel-saving direct injection technology and continuously variable valve timing, and matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Direct injection helps the engine produce power comparable to a V8 — 288 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque — with good efficiency. The strong V6 engine also enables the Enclave to tow up to 4,500 pounds.