2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco Review - Chevy's Top Notch Small Car

Chevrolet is the epitome of an American brand. And as an American marque, it has previously been more noticeable on the likes of trucks. Why? Two reasons; because trucks are the stereotypical American segment and Chevrolet's attempts at compacts throughout the years have failed miserably.

For the sake of brevity, we'll start with the Cavalier. The car was uncompetitive throughout its entire lifespan. The Cobalt that followed fared better, but still fell short of being the entry Chevy truly needed to compete.

However, with the Cruze, has GM finally delivered on its promise of doing a small-car right? All indicators point to a yes verdict, and Car Throttle was fortunate to spend a week with the car's Eco variant to see how it fares.

Note: Due to horrible weather conditions, we were unable to carry out our usual photography shoot. As a result we have had to use some press photography, and as the Eco doesn't get much limelight, we have pictured the standard Chevrolet Cruze for most of the images. The Eco looks a bit like this:

The Cruze is a face the press has seen for a little while, but to most consumers it is all-new, and very fresh. Whilst the Cobalt had a benign look, the Cruze aims for more aggression. It stands out, and comes across as genuinely handsome. Competitors like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic manage to look small and toy-like in comparison.

Chevy says the Cruze looks bigger than it is, with a mid-size sedan presence - and that isn't just marketing spin. The Cruze has a mature, balanced look. Up front the Chevrolet grille dominates and the headlights make the car appear as if it is scowling. With cars like the smiling Mazda 3, it isn't a usual look for the small-car segment.

The Cruze Eco model has unique wheels and a lowered suspension, and that helps to make it one of the best looking Cruzes. The Eco does little to make its more fuel-efficient status known, except for a small "Eco" badge on the rear trunk.

Inside, you instantly realize just how dramatic the change from the Cobalt is. While the Cobalt was sterile and devoid of any stand-out cues, the Cruze is designed with style in mind. Rather than generic, it comes across as a branded product, and that is extremely important.

The change is represented with the Chevrolet logo. Instead of a rounded circle with the logo in the middle slapped in center, the Chevy logo is given attention to detail, fitted into the steering wheel with a chrome surround and added depth.

A two-tone fabric seat combination gives the car a sporty-feel inside. The nice seat fabric is worlds apart from cheap cloth we're used to in cars from GM and in this segment. A unique feature of the interior that has been covered extensively by the press is the fabric on the dash. Rather than a large plastic expanse, designers have chosen to cover parts of the dash with the same material used on the seats.

We can't believe it hasn't been thought of before - it is a brilliant move that sets the Cruze apart and reduces the amount of plastic materials in the interior. The plastic that is there however, is well grained and of good quality.

Controls move with a feeling of quality and there were no squeaks or rattles and the doors close with a reassuring thud. Simply put, the Cruze's interior is top-notch - dare we say it, best-in-class.

As a Chevrolet, the Cruze is designed for maximum appeal. This is, after all, a very high-volume segment. That means the Cruze is designed to go head-to-head with the volume leaders like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Neither are particularly known for their performance chops, and Chevy doesn't go after those customers with a Mazda 3-like vehicle.

Looking for a corner carver? Look elsewhere. The Cruze Eco experienced some body-roll during handling, and the steering-wheel wasn't the most communicative. A large part of this is due to the low-resistance tires designed to improve fuel economy.

The ride quality did however remain composed and compliant. The Cruze's mission isn't centered around an engaging driving experience - what the Cruze does offer is a refined and quiet driving experience that gives off a well-engineered feeling of solidarity. This is despite our particular car's Eco badge, which means GM looked for extra weight savings and designed this car for maximum fuel economy.

Nothing about the Cruze Eco felt like a low-mileage penalty box. For the 200,000 + customers a year that most likely will be buying the Cruze in all its different variations, this is exactly what they are looking for. For a subset of those looking for more performance, we imagine General Motors will be happy to oblige with performance variants in the future, as the Cruze's chassis is clearly capable. We can't wait to get our hands on those.

The car is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder, making 138 horsepower and 148 pound feet of torque This is the same engine used in the Volt, albeit lacking turbocharging in that application. In the Cruze Eco it is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, and it was a joy to row through your own gears with the Cruze.

Power from the engine could be best described as adequate - it was quick around town in first gear, but the pace of acceleration quickly declined as you entered into higher gears. Passing power isn't a strong point, but the Cruze Eco's primary focus is fuel economy. In that respect, it delivered. We averaged 33 mpg in predominantly around town driving.

Overall, the Cruze Eco ditches generic and instead places itself in a premium position, above cars in its class like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Without a doubt, the Cruze blows by its aforementioned competitors. Where the Cruze would seem to be on similar footing is the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, a vehicle we have yet to test. The two offer completely different approaches, however.

The Cruze actually surpasses the levels of design and refinement currently offered by its bigger brother the Malibu. The Cruze might be priced on the higher end of the segment, but the value it offers is a very important element.

The Cruze is an excellent value proposition, offering a package that looks and feels more expensive than its price tag. In short, the Cruze represents something different for its segment, and GM. But it isn't about to be all that different pretty soon. Judging by its sales numbers, the Cruze is about to become quite commonplace. For Chevrolet, there could be no better confirmation that it has succeeded in its mission.

Disclaimer: This vehicle was lent to us by General Motors for the purposes of evaluation.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco Specifications

Base price: $18,175Price as tested:

Body: 4 doorsDrivetrain: Front mounted front-wheel driveAccomodations: 5 passengers

Engine: General Motors Ecotec, inline four-cylinderDisplacement: 1.4 litersAspiration: TurbochargedFuel delivery: Port Fuel InjectionCompression ratio: 9.5:1Horsepower: 138 horsepowerTorque: 148 pound feet

0-60 mph: 10.2 secondsEPA fuel mileage estimate: 28 city, 42 highwayRecommended fuel: RegularFuel Tank Capacity: 12.6 gallonsTheoretical Range: 374 miles

Wheelbase: 105.7 inchesLength: 181 inchesTrack (F/R): 60.7/61.3 inchesWidth: 70.7 inchesHeight: 58.1 inchesCurb weight: 3,009 pounds