Holden Cruze 2015 Review

As it advances in age and edges closer to replacement the Cruze small car continues to be fettled and refined by Holden. There are four models in the lineup – CD, CDX, SRi and SRi-V – available across sedan, hatch and wagon (CD and CDX only) bodystyles. For 2015 the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines have been dropped. But the flagship SRi-V being tested here continues with its 132kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and a surprisingly enjoyable level of road manners.

Like a battler from the bush thrust into full forward for the AFL grand final, too much has been expected of the Holden Cruze.

In effect, a good average small car had the weight of the future of Holden as a manufacturer placed on its shoulders. And it has not been able to carry that superstar responsibility.

Holden is going, the locally-built and developed Commodore is going with it and whatever replaces the Cruze within a few years will be imported.

Nevertheless Holden has built more than 100,000 Cruzes since local production began in March 2011 and the brand has become a significant player in the huge small car segment – outshone in terms of popularity by the likes of the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla but still in there fighting.

Which is what this latest MY15 update is all about. The Cruze must go on contributing until the end of production, so the work goes on to improve, refine and continue to tempt a decent number of buyers.

As we have reported previously, the entire Cruze range gets some work done for 2015. The most prominent and obvious changes are to the snout, which now has three distinct openings and gives the car a busier, nerdier look. It’s not ugly, not handsome, but it is distinctive.

Here we are testing the top-spec SRi-V which – along with the SRi – also adds blingy driving lights as yet another design element. Some people just don’t know when to stop fiddling…

On top of that the SRi-V gets new design alloy wheels, a remote engine-start function (auto models), rain-sensing wipers, suede seat inserts, live updates for its sat-nav and parking guidelines for the reversing camera.

This new equipment adds to a list topped by the MyLink infotainment system that includes integration of Pandora and Stitcher smartphone apps, Bluetooth audio streaming, voice control and a text message function.

More traditional features include cruise control, climate control and a trip computer. A compact 16-inch steel spare wheel is optional. The warranty is three years / 100,000km and well off the pace now set by the likes of Hyundai and Kia.

Safety features include six airbags, reversing sensors, a five-star ANCAP safety rating, stability control and the other expected digital safety aids.

The mechanical package is familiar; combining a 132kW/230Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with a standard six-speed manual gearbox, or optional six-speed auto.

All this is worth $27,140 for the manual – which is a $250 rise from the MY14 – and an additional $2200 for the auto. The price is the same for sedan or hatch and in this case we are driving the former in manual form.

At that money, with that power level, as a manual and with a sedan body, the SRi-V doesn’t have that many direct competitors.

The Mazda3 SP25 and SP25 GT are obvious rivals priced either side of the SRi-V. The Nissan Pulsar SSS is also a direct opponent. Maybe the 2.0i-S Subaru Impreza and the Toyota Corolla ZR also qualify – hey, we’re clutching here.

Of course, allow hatches into the mix and the choice spreads to include the Ford Focus Sport and Hyundai i30 SR and SR Premium. You could even chuck the Kia pro_cee'd GT in there if you were feeling generous.

Against that lot the Cruze stands up pretty well, remembering we’re talking about a car that has been on-sale as far back as 2009 as an import.

The big overhaul came for MY13 when Holden’s Australian chassis development team had a really good go at the Cruze. The SRi-V copped a retune of its electric-assist steering and a sports-tuned suspension that included the addition of a watts link locater for the torsion beam rear axle. Bridgestone Potenza rubber also replaced Kumhos.

Under the bonnet the SRi-V moved from the now discontinued 1.4-litre 103kW/200Nm turbo-petrol four-cylinder to the current 1.6.

A couple of years on and it’s still a combination that impresses. The setting of springs and dampers is firm without being shudderingly hard, so the car sits flat, corners with confidence and deals with bumps without breaking your back – although it will bang and crash on the really bad stuff. The resistance of the steering has been sensitively tuned, weighting up as the speed climbs.

The set-up is tuned toward a moderate front-wheel drive understeer, but you will soon find yourself piloting the SRi-V more quickly and cleanly along a broken bit of Aussie bitumen than you would have expected the first time you stepped in the car.

The dynamic improvement compared to the pre-MY13 Cruze isn’t night and day, but it is certainly a shift into bright clarity from a dull light. It shows the importance of sympathetic local tuning for our rubbish roads.

The engine complements the chassis. In a comparison test conducted in late 2014, the motoring.com.au crew struggled with the slow-witted changes of the MY14 SRi-V’s auto. Well, no such drama in the manual, which really allowed the engine to breath its deepest.

It’s not the cleanest gear shift going and the engine seemed a frag doughy down low, but there was very little of the bleariness that marked the auto. It has a real energy that makes it good fun and well-mated to the chassis.

And not only was it pretty responsive through a broad range thanks to the sizeable amount of torque on offer, the engine also delivered an 8.1L/100km fuel consumption average during our test on 95 RON fuel – versus a 7.4L/100km claim.

Considering this is quite a big car for the class at 4629mm overall length, 1797mm width and 1465kg kerb weight, that’s a pretty decent result in terms of both consumption and performance.

Of course, interior space has always been a Cruze selling feature. There is enough room for adults front and back and a boot big enough at 445 litres to accommodate a decent amount of their luggage. The rear seats split-fold to create 1254 litres worth of space.

The SRi-V also offers good storage including front and rear door pockets, dual seatback pockets, a sizeable glovebox, a sliding lidded bin in the centre console, another lidded bin at the top of the centre stack and a fold-down armrest including a double cupholder in the rear.

While getting a lot of the real estate for the money is one thing, the quality of the interior is quite another. The seats aren’t anything special and the surfaces are hard to the touch and in some places just look plain cheap. Single-zone climate control seems underdone for a flagship model and no visible rear air-con vents in a car built in Australia is almost a crime. The round central control with labels at odd angles takes some getting used to and is ergonomically less than ideal.

The lack of a left foot-rest for the driver is also an annoying. However, the brake and accelerator pedals are well located for heeling and toeing and the steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake.

So like any good, honest effort, the Cruze has its pluses and minuses. No, it’s not a star and it doesn’t kick massive goals, but it is an enjoyable drive that deserves to be on your consideration list.

2015 Holden Cruze SRi-V pricing and specifications:
Price: $27,140 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/230Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual