A better Cruze? | 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2.0 VDCi AT
Words by Andre Palma | Photos by Niky Tamayo and Christopher Kho



Much has been said about the Chevrolet Cruze. Not surprising, owing to the fact that this is a car that has to live up to every inch of its plural, ‘world car’ status. Built to respond to the needs of every market, this is a car that finally brought Chevy out of the dark ages of solely relying on rebranding to get products to fill out gaps in its automotive line-up. The current Cruze is now built on a global platform designed by GM, branded and kitted to regional and country-specific needs - a surer formula for market acceptance. And now that there's a diesel version thrown in the mix, can it really make a better Cruze?

Questioning Strategies

Initial entry into the local market was met by mixed reviews from industry pundits. Some questioned the WTCC branding that was being used to sell the Cruze, especially since the car displayed lackluster road going demeanor at best. Others asked if the market needed another compact sedan in an age where the subcompact car and compact SUV segments are clearly dominant. Most just eagerly awaited the car that was supposed to turn Chevy’s local fortunes around.

A bigger question loomed as well. Would it be possible for the Cruze to cement itself as a legitimate option, if not prove itself as a superior product, to long standing vanilla compact sedan standards like the Corolla, Lancer, and Civic? And could it meet the challenge of the other global American in its segment, the Ford Focus?.....

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