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My first time ever behind the wheel of a Chevy Cruze last year caused me to wisecrack how this compact sedanette was powered by 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. But now it seems the joke is on me because this week I tested the all-new 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco with that identical four-banger powerplant (mated to an optional six-speed automatic transmission...




My first time ever behind the wheel of a Chevy Cruze last year caused me to wisecrack how this compact sedanette was powered by 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. But now it seems the joke is on me because this week I tested the all-new 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco with that identical four-banger powerplant (mated to an optional six-speed automatic transmission that generates 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque), which turned out to be among the most spry, nimble and sporty drives for a car in this segment in recent memory.



What changed? Excellent question.

View full sizePhoto by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

Turns out GM engineers tweaked the beejeebers out of the Cruze, mostly by aerodynamically streamlining virtually everything they could get their paws on, in what has to be one of the best nip/tuck jobs in years. This not only significantly reduced the vehicle’s drag coefficient and overall curb weight but also jacked the fuel efficiency to such a degree that the Eco now boasts a near-hybrid fuel economy of 26/37 city/highway miles per gallon, respectively. Trimming the upper grille, closing air intake valves at high speeds, smoothing out underbody airflow and a host of other refinements helped the Eco shed 200 pounds as compared to its mid-trim cousin, the Cruze 1LT.



And, as I remember from college, whenever I would take a girlfriend instead of my lunatic bandmates to Las Vegas for the weekend, less weight improved fuel economy.



The Eco even looks sportier.



What’s also a nice change for a car that touts near-hybrid fuel economy is what the Eco doesn’t have. Namely, those annoying little readouts that tell you whether you’re being a Good Bee or a Bad Bee when it comes to fuel efficiency (or lack thereof). In other words, no little green leaf LCD flowing over a video gameish display of the powertrain as in the Chevy Volt, or a display showing a leprechaun hugging a tree when you’re driving at optimal efficiency (the latter I made up).



That said, fuel-wise drivers regardless of their ecological aspirations will no doubt appreciate the simple readout on the driver’s-side instrument gauge after topping off the tank that shows the car has a range of 484 miles. Now that’s something destined to turn owners’ heads while their wallets breathe a long-overdue sigh of relief. It means I can drive to Opelousas and back and still have 184 miles left on the fuel range, or high tail it up to Little Rock, Ark., on a single tank of gas. What this also means is the Chevy Cruze Eco “beats all non-hybrid segment competitors for highway mileage,” according to hybridcars.com.



Sure your 0-to-60 sprint is a sluggish 9.0 seconds, but you’re not buying this car to street race Porsches — or, for that matter, even Lucky Dog vendors.



Still, the Eco has our full attention.



Stepping up to the plate

At first blush I had skeptically wondered if the Eco’s affordability was the first tip off that the cabin design was destined to be as exciting as an old housecoat — and created using cheap plastic materials cannibalized from made-in-China American toys from the 1960s. With a base MSRP of $18,175 (my tester cost $21,130), the Eco had a lot to prove lest it fall into that category of inexpensive rides that lacked only the scent of Lysol to remind of a cheap (but new!) motel on wheels.

View full sizePhoto by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

Here is where GM stepped up to the plate in a most surprising way. Overall the slightly curvilinear and ultimately handsome cabin design smacks of a contemporary feel, while the smart use of a monochromatic

Tags: Chevrolet, is-featured

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ECOTISTICAL THINKING: Why this Chevy Cruze shed 200 pounds -- just for you was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: Chevrolet. Read the full story by clicking here.