New Chevrolet Cruze review, test drive

The Cruze, in its mid-life-cycle update, gets improvements mostly on the mechanicals front, including a new engine. It’s not like it needed one desperately – the old car’s punchy, 148bhp 2.0-litre common-rail diesel could see off quite a few petrol saloons and was one of its main selling points.

So then why the all-new engine? It’s because GM has globally replaced the previous VM Motoring-developed diesel with its latest ‘Family Z’ unit. Also, an all-new six-speed manual gearbox replaces the five-speed unit of the previous model. A completely new powertrain has helped Chevrolet address problems like the massive turbo lag and heavy clutch that plagued theearlier Cruze.