First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact Sedan

General Motors from past three years has been publicizing its electric 2011 Chevrolet Volt, some found it too exaggerated the vehicle, and some thought it could beat out Cobalt from the U.S. streets. It was also said that 2011 Chevrolet Volt sedan will prove to the strong contender to the compact sedans as of Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus and Honda Civic.

2011 Chevrolet Volt has already hit the Asia and Europe market and this summer it is made available in Europe and US audience. This car is more important to the GM than the other upcoming Volts in next few years.

Here is what we find out on our first drive in this compact sedan with confusing reviews:

Engine

its turbocharged 1.4 liter feels really stronger comparatively to its 138 horsepower. Relatively to the Cobalt’s 2.2 liter, Chevy’s RPM torque is very low.

Acceleration

at the low first gear, the compact sedan just took off smoothly and quicker, which can be estimated – 0-60 mpg in 9 seconds.

Fuel Economy

the eco-model’s 1.4 T reaches smoothly in city and highway, impressively up to 27 mpg and 40 mpg, respectively. On our test drive, it actually touched average at 27 mpg, which is unbelievable for a compact sedan that is more than 3,000 pounds.

Handling & Steering

steering is very smooth and light weighted which can be handled without any difficulty as well as the on-center feel was also great.

Safety

Chevy is well-equipped than the Cobalt. The new Chevy Volt has 10 airbags installed in it and plus, many improvements have been done in this car.

Interior

the interior of the car is very much alike that of Cadillac CTS. Anyways, it really feels comfortable and stylish to sit inside it as well as functional.

There are some flaws to the Cruze which doesn’t bring it in top of the class, which are:

Styling

though it’s conservative as well as homely, but dull.

Refinement of Eco model

the suspension of the car isn’t much stronger as look as on jerky surface it can be felt inside. As well, while running, the car becomes little noisier.

The Cruze will be produced in Lordstown, Ohio, and by the 2010 spring, it will go on sale in Canada and United States. U.S. and Canada will have option in Chevy’s recognizable LTZ, LT, and LS, trim levels.