See The First Look At The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze!

The all new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is on its way to your local Texas Chevy dealer. I wanted to give you a first look at how it drives, handles and let you know a little bit of what some of the critics are saying. The Chevrolet Cruze is going to be the replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt and even though it is a smaller car, it has a big bite. Thanks to Consumer Reports for sharing their thoughts with us on the brand new Chevrolet Cruze. I don’t think you will be disappointed by any means of the word. Check out this story, watch the video and then weigh in with your thoughts on the brand new Chevy!

Chevrolet replaces the mediocre Cobalt this September with an all-new sedan, the Cruze. Already on sale in many markets around the globe, the Cruze will give the division a much more competitive small car in the States than in the past. We borrowed one recently to give our auto engineers a chance to preview this significant new model and share their impressions in this First Look video.

The Cruze will be offered with two engines: a base 1.8-liter, four-cylinder and an up-level 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that has the potential to optimize performance and fuel economy. Both the automatic and manual transmissions offered are six-speed units. Much of the marketing attention will be on the 1.4-liter turbo, with its promised 40 mpg on the highway.

However, the bigger story is that all Cruzes, regardless of trim level or engine, are a marked improvement over the outgoing rental-ready Cobalt. Most of GM’s recent small cars have been underwhelming, but in our time with the Cruze, we found it to feel substantial and much more refined.  We think the car handles well, with responsive steering and a well-controlled ride. Noise levels are relatively low, and the cabin feels roomy for the class. Price concerns aside, the Cruze has much promise, and we are looking forward to purchasing a production example and running it through our exhaustive test regimen when it goes on sale.

—Jeff Bartlett

Thanks to Brandi Hodge for contributing.