The Cruze symbolizes the progress that GM is making to sort out its engineering fundamentals, product quality and global manufacturing plan--everything for which the company historically (and deservedly) has been kicked.

It goes toe-to-toe with the Honda Civic, schools the Toyota Corolla and makes the outgoing Cobalt seem all the more embarrassing.

The Cruze takes to the curves ably, with a competent suspension and good body control.

The four-door Cruze is a handsome car, shaped in the fashion of Chevrolet's well-received, mid-size Malibu sedan, with even better proportions.

Its arcing roofline creates the effect of a two-door coupe, and the Cruze looks longer and wider than many of its competitors, with shorter overhangs beyond the front and rear wheels. It will come standard with 16-inch wheels and offer a 17-inch option.

Generic and sedate--actually, borderline boring--with a blunt front end and a profile that doesn?t exactly call attention to its character.

As adapted for the U.S. market, the Cruze is mad for safety, with standard-equipment 10 standard airbags, rollover sensor, stability control, pre-tensioning front seat belts and automatic headlamps.

Chevrolet has made life harder than it needs to be with the Cruze's lusterless sheet metal.