Overview of the Holden Cruze
In the early 2000s the Cruze was a rebadged Suzuki Ignis baby 4WD, though here we're focused on the small car that was initially an import from South Korea before Holden produced the Chevrolet-based Cruze locally, alongside the Commodore.
The hatch that followed a bit after the sedan had significant input from Holden designers, while there was also a Sportwagon variant. Sportier versions were dubbed SRi though weren't genuine hot-hatches.
After model updates in 2013 and 2015, local production of the Holden Cruze ended in 2016.
HOLDEN CRUZE GENERATIONS (SINCE 2009)
2009-2010
2011-2016
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption
1.8L 4-cylinder: 7.0 litres per 100km
2.0L 4-cylinder turbo diesel: 5.6 to 5.7 litres per 100km
1.4L 4-cylinder turbo: 6.4 to 6.9 litres per 100km
1.6L 4-cylinder turbo (SRi): 7.4 to 7.9 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Every 15,000km or nine months, whichever is sooner. Each service currently costs between $239 and $319. Holden Cruze parts and accessoriescan be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR MODELS TO HOLDEN CRUZE
Ford Focus
Hyundai i30
Mazda 3
Toyota Corolla
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: HOLDEN CRUZE (2009-2016)
Early Cruze models (up to March 2011) were imported from South Korea. Post that, the Cruze was built in Australia. In terms of build quality, the later, locally made version was a step up.
Watch out for trashed automatic transmissions in Korean-built examples. If the gearbox can't seem to make up its mind about what gear it wants to be in, that's a bad sign. Transmission fluid should be clean and clear, too, not burnt-smelling and dark.
The turbo diesel version is like any other turbo diesel with a soot filter - it needs a good gallop down the freeway every three or four weeks to get the engine hot enough to purge the trap. Otherwise it's back to the mechanics for a manual clean-out.
Make sure the air-conditioning blows icy cold (there have been failures) and drive down a bumpy road to listen for squeaks, bangs and rattles. A Korean-made Cruze is likely to be worse in this regard.
