Mark Phelan

Detroit Free Press Auto Critic

Base price: $16,620. Cruze Premier $26,375 as tested.

153-hp 1.4L four-cylinder engine

Weight reduced as much as 250 pounds from 2015 model

NASHVILLE – The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze’s features, fuel economy and value could challenge the Honda Civic for bragging rights as the best compact car on the market.

That’s the early verdict, based on a day driving Cruzes through the Tennessee hills and talking to the development team behind Chevy’s new global compact. The first Cruzes just started rolling out of GM’s Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant and into dealerships across the U.S. The Cruze will eventually be sold in more than 100 countries and built in several more sites in South America and Asia. It’s Chevrolet’s best-selling vehicle globally, having racked up 3.5 million deliveries since it debuted in 2008.

The new Cruze benefits from a weight-reduction program that reduced weight up to 250 pounds from the previous car, despite the fact that the new car’s wheelbase is 0.6-inch longer.

Overall length grew 2.7 inches to 183.7 inches, while roof height decreased nearly an inch. That leads to a sleek, low appearance very different from the formal looking 2015 Cruze. The 2016 model looks at home next to the attractive Chevrolet Malibu and Impala sedans.

A new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine delivers 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. That torque is available from 2,000 r.p.m., so the Cruze had power on tap to zip through traffic in downtown Nashville and stretch its legs in the hilly countryside. A standard stop-start system unobtrusively shuts the engine off when the car is idling at a stop and restarts quickly.

The Cruze’s EPA fuel economy rating of 35 m.p.g. in combined city/highway driving matches the most fuel-efficient Civic for the highest rating among compact sedans. Top Premier models rate 34 m.p.g. because of the added weight of their 18-inch wheels and other features.

The Cruze’s light weight and stiff chassis contribute to smooth, composed handling. The electric power steering is quick and responsive, with good on-center feel.

Standard features include a backup camera, 7-inch touch screen, voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Optional driver assistance features include front collision alert, blind-spot and cross-traffic alerts, lane keeping alert and assist.

Cruze prices start at $16,620. I spent most of my time driving a nicely equipped Premier that stickered at $26,375, excluding destination charges. That price did not include some of the Cruze’s appealing driver-assistance features, including forward collision assist, lane-departure alert and assist. Automatic emergency braking, another increasingly popular feature, is not available on the Cruze.

Chevy will add a good-looking hatchback model this fall. A fuel-efficient diesel joins the family early in 2017.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.

2016 Chevrolet Cruze at a glance

Five-passenger front-drive compact sedan

1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

153 hp, 177 pound-feet of torque.

Six-speed manual or automatic transmission

Built in Lordstown, Ohio

Competes with: Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Rio, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta