Chevrolet Cruze 2.0 VCDi LTZ 4dr Car Review - March 2012

With a top speed of 127 mph this medium sized car has decent performance credentials thanks to a powerful engine which delivers 161 bhp of power and 265 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration is also relatively quick as the car is capable of travelling from 0-62 mph in just 8.5 seconds.

Unfortunately, all of these credentials are overshadowed by the cars poor handling which makes the drive somewhat uncomfortable. Not only does the car lack high quality suspension but road grip is poor and even though the handling is controlled this still leaves the car feeling somewhat unsteady and little out of control.

Whilst some features, such as leather seating, are missing from this model, the Chevrolet does offer a good range of basic equipment as standard. This includes features such as electric door mirrors and electric front windows as well as alloy wheels and climate control.

Bluetooth is a significant piece of safety equipment that prevents drivers becoming distracted when trying to make phone calls whilst driving. This hands-free technology automatically registers the car when it is inside the vehicle so that drivers do not have to manually use the phone at all to make a phone call.

MP3 connectivity is also added to improve the entertainment and enjoyment offered within the cabin and is a great feature for modern cars.

The cars security has been well established and this model comes fitted with an alarm so it is protected from thefts. The car also has central locking and other security measures such as driver, passenger and front side airbags to ensure occupants are kept safe at all times. In fact, the safety of this model is so high that it was awarded the top five star rating for overall safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests.

The cars practicality is also ideal and there is plenty of room for all occupants and luggage. The car can seat five occupants and has four-door access, which is convenient for rear passengers, whilst the boot space is typical of a medium sized car - with 450 litres of free space on offer when all the seats are in position.

Chevrolet have provided a five year warranty with this model, which is a good advantage to drivers as often only three years is offered. The warranty is also applied up to the first 100,000 miles which is great considering that most other warranties only cover the first 60,000 miles. This means buyers have the reassurance they need over reliability - making this an attractive option.

This car can be bought brand new from £18,195 but whilst drivers will benefit from low running costs and high levels of safety and practicality, the driving experience is lacking and this is a real disadvantage.

Running costs are the main attraction of this car with fuel efficiency of 52.4 mpg on a combined cycle being impressive for a car of this class. Carbon emissions of 141 g/km put the car into an affordable road tax band (F) and insurance premiums are fairly mid-range under insurance group 22.