Executive class sedans have multiple roles to play and they need to be good in everything – looks, performance, ride and handling, trim levels, fuel efficiency and of course value for money. And when they run on the oily stuff, there are further demands on them – they have to be torquey and powerful, smooth and refined and yet give gazillion kilometres to the litre. The Volkswagen Jetta is that way an accomplished piece of kit. It does everything you’d expect from it quite well. But you know, competition in always good – so while there are people who save up by opting for the Skoda Laura, others have a choice now, with the new Chevrolet Cruze. Here then, are the answers to all your questions.
Design signs
German conservatism vs in-your-face Americana
Frankly, when it comes to appearance, there is no doubt which is the better looking car of the two. Unless of course you are a retired gent living in a little European town where the local council fines you if your lawn grass is the wrong shade of green. Yes, the Jetta has that mind-numbing seriousness about it that if it had a profession, it would be a boring chemistry teacher. That red shade actually seems a little out of character! On the other hand, though the Cruze is not classy, there’s something about it that is 1. Youthful 2. Brutish 3. Handsome 4. Copied. Yup. The tail-lamps look as if they have been yanked out of the Honda Civic, while the high waistline, though muscular, seems to have been ‘inspired’ by the BMW 5 Series. Though such details may not be original, in true American style, all of the elements come together to make the Chevy stand apart from the rest of the cars on our roads. It’s a good-looking car.
Volkswagen Jetta: 3 out of 5 stars
Chevrolet Cruze: 4 out of 5 stars
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