Safety tests a real Cruze

Holden's all-new Cruze small sedan comes to New Zealand with a higher crash-safety rating than the larger four-door Epica, the other South Korean-built model carrying the Lion badge.

Cruze picked up a maximum five stars for safety in an Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) test, a result that puts it alongside the Commodore sedan and wagon as the safest passenger car offerings from Holden.

The carmaker says the Cruze sedan scored 35.04 points from a maximum total of 37, thanks to its high-strength steel structure and a host of active and passive safety systems.

They include a collapsible pedal assembly and standard driver aids including electronic stability control (ESC) with traction control, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), seatbelts with reminder warning and load-limiters, and six airbags including twin front, front-side and side curtain airbags.

Holden New Zealand managing director Simon Carr said safety was at the core of the vehicle's global development programme.

"We know that today's motorists want many things from a lower medium car and that includes no compromises on safety," said Carr. "Incredibly high benchmarks were set as the Cruze was being developed and the results show.

"This is a world-class car with a safety rating to match.

"We welcome ANCAP's response to Cruze's strong safety features."

The five-seater Cruze will go on sale in New Zealand in July, powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine on the model badged CD and a 2-litre turbodiesel under the bonnet of the CDX. Gearboxes run to a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic with manual mode.

The petrol-powered Cruze is expected to return town-and-around fuel economy of around 8 litres/100km, or 35mpg. There is no indication of the diesel's fuel use, although it is expected to return better than 6.5 litres/100km, or 43mpg.

The Holden Cruze made its Downunder debut at the Melbourne motor show in March and is the company's latest entrant in the competitive small car segment.

It is built in South Korea by General Motors affiliate Daewoo and is based on the same global GM Delta II platform that underpins the latest Opel and Vauxhall Astra and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

GM Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss said Cruze represented Holden's commitment to the small car market and marked the beginning of a new era for the company. "The small car market is the largest growing segment in the Australiasian market and this is our response to that change," Reuss said.

"Cruze will play a significant role in Holden's future and presents us with a new generation car, a new design and a new way of thinking."